System Configuration

Information About New Configuration Model

The configuration of Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers is simplified using different tags, namely rf-tag, policy-tag, and site-tag. The access points would derive their configuration from the profiles that are contained within the tags.

Profiles are a collection of feature-specific attributes and parameters applied to tags. The rf-tag contains the radio profiles, the site-tag contains flex-profile and ap-join-profile, and the policy-tag contains the WLAN profile and policy profile.

The FlexConnect configuration helps the central controller to manage sites that are geo-distributed, for example, retail, campus, and so on.

Policy Tag

The policy tag constitutes mapping of the WLAN profile to the policy profile. The WLAN profile defines the wireless characteristics of the WLAN. The policy profile defines the network policies and the switching policies for the client (Quality of Service [QoS] is an exception which constitutes AP policies as well).

The policy tag contains the map of WLAN policy profile. There are 16 such entries per policy tag. Changes to the map entries are effected based on the status of the WLAN profile and policy profile. For example, if a map (WLAN1 and Policy1) is added to the policy tag, and both the WLAN profile and the policy profile are enabled, the definitions are pushed to the APs using the policy tag. However, if one of them is in disabled state, the definition is not pushed to the AP. Similarly, if a WLAN profile is already being broadcast by an AP, it can be deleted using the no form of the command in the policy tag.

Site Tag

The site tag defines the properties of a site and contains the flex profile and the AP join profile. The attributes that are specific to the corresponding flex or remote site are part of the flex profile. Apart from the flex profile, the site tag also comprises attributes that are specific to the physical site (and hence cannot be a part of the profile that is a reusable entity). For example, the list of primary APs for efficient upgrade is a part of a site tag rather than that of a flex profile.

If a flex profile name or an AP profile name is changed in the site tag, the AP is forced to rejoin the controller by disconnecting the Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) session. When a site tag is created, the AP and flex profiles are set to default values (default-ap-profile and default-flex-profile).

RF Tag

The RF tag contains the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz RF profiles. The default RF tag contains the global configuration. Both these profiles contain the same default values for global RF profiles for the respective radios.

Profiles

Profiles are a collection of feature-specific attributes and parameters applied to tags. Profiles are reusable entities that can be used across tags. Profiles (used by tags) define the properties of the APs or its associated clients.

WLAN Profile

WLAN profiles are configured with same or different service set identifiers (SSIDs). An SSID identifies the specific wireless network for the controller to access. Creating WLANs with the same SSID allows to assign different Layer 2 security policies within the same wireless LAN.

To distinguish WLANs having the same SSID, create a unique profile name for each WLAN. WLANs with the same SSID must have unique Layer 2 security policies so that clients can select a WLAN based on the information advertised in the beacon and probe responses. The switching and network policies are not part of the WLAN definition.

Policy Profile

Policy profile broadly consists of network and switching policies. Policy profile is a reusable entity across tags. Anything that is a policy for a client that is applied on an AP or controller is moved to the policy profile, for example, VLAN, ACL, QoS, session timeout, idle timeout, AVC profile, bonjour profile, local profiling, device classification, BSSID QoS, and so on. However, all the wireless-related security attributes and features on the WLAN are grouped under the WLAN profile.

Flex Profile

Flex profile contains policy attributes and remote site-specific parameters. For example, the EAP profiles that can be used when the AP acts as an authentication server for local RADIUS server information, VLAN-ACL mapping, VLAN name-to-ID mapping, and so on.

AP Join Profile

The default AP join profile values will have the global AP parameters and the AP group parameters. The AP join profile contains attributes that are specific to AP, such as CAPWAP, IPv4 and IPv6, UDP Lite, High Availability, Retransmit config parameters, Global AP failover, Hyperlocation config parameters, Telnet and SSH, 11u parameters, and so on.


Note


Telnet is not supported for the following Cisco AP models: 1542D, 1542I, 1562D, 1562E, 1562I, 1562PS, 1800S, 1800T, 1810T, 1810W,1815M, 1815STAR, 1815TSN, 1815T, 1815W, 1832I, 1840I, 1852E, 1852I, 2802E, 2802I, 2802H, 3700C, 3800, 3802E, 3802I, 3802P, 4800, IW6300, ESW6300, 9105AXI, 9105AXW, 9115AXI, 9115AXE, 9117I, APVIRTUAL, 9120AXI, 9120AXE, 9124AXI, 9124AXD, 9130AXI, 9130AXE, 9136AXI, 9162I, 9164I, and 9166I.


RF Profile

RF profile contains the common radio configuration for the APs. RF profiles are applied to all the APs that belong to an AP group, where all the APs in that group have the same profile settings.

Association of APs

APs can be associated using different ways. The default option is by using Ethernet MAC address, where the MAC is associated with policy-tag, site tag, and RF tag.

In filter-based association, APs are mapped using regular expressions. A regular expression (regex) is a pattern to match against an input string. Any number of APs matching that regex will have policy-tag, site tag, and RF tag mapped to them, which is created as part of the AP filter.

In AP-based association, tag names are configured at the PnP server and the AP stores them and sends the tag name as part of discovery process.

In location-based association, tags are mapped as per location and are pushed to any AP Ethernet MAC address mapped to that location.

Modifying AP Tags

Modifying an AP tag results in DTLS connection reset, forcing the AP to rejoin the controller. If only one tag is specified in the configuration, default tags are used for other types, for example, if only policy tag is specified, the default-site-tag and default-rf-tag will be used for site tag and RF tag.

Configuring a Wireless Profile Policy (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Policy.

Step 2

On the Policy Profile page, click Add.

Step 3

In the Add Policy Profile window, in General tab, enter a name and description for the policy profile. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces. Do not use spaces as it causes system instability.

Step 4

To enable the policy profile, set Status as Enabled.

Step 5

Use the slider to enable or disable Passive Client and Encrypted Traffic Analytics.

Step 6

In the CTS Policy section, choose the appropriate status for the following:

  • Inline Tagging—a transport mechanism using which a controller or access point understands the source SGT.

  • SGACL Enforcement

Step 7

Specify a default SGT. The valid range is from 2 to 65519.

Step 8

In the WLAN Switching Policy section, choose the following, as required:

  • Central Switching: Tunnels both the wireless user traffic and all control traffic via CAPWAP to the centralized controller where the user traffic is mapped to a dynamic interface/VLAN on the controller. This is the normal CAPWAP mode of operation.

  • Central Authentication: Tunnels client data to the controller, as the controller handles client authentication.

  • Central DHCP: The DHCP packets received from AP are centrally switched to the controller and then forwarded to the corresponding VLAN based on the AP and the SSID.

  • Central Association Enable: When central association is enabled, all switching is done on the controller.

  • Flex NAT/PAT: Enables Network Address Translation(NAT) and Port Address Translation (PAT) mode.

Step 9

Click Save & Apply to Device.


Configuring a Wireless Profile Policy (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure a wireless profile policy:


Note


When a client moves from an old controller to a new controller (managed by Cisco Prime Infrastructure), the old IP address of the client is retained, if the IP address is learned by ARP or data gleaning. To avoid this scenario, ensure that you enable ipv4 dhcp required command in the policy profile. Otherwise, the IP address gets refreshed only after a period of 24 hours.


Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

wireless profile policy profile-policy

Example:

Device(config)# wireless profile policy rr-xyz-policy-1

Configures WLAN policy profile and enters wireless policy configuration mode.

Step 3

idle-timeout timeout

Example:

Device(config-wireless-policy)# idle-timeout 1000

(Optional) Configures the duration of idle timeout, in seconds.

Step 4

vlan vlan-id

Example:

Device(config-wireless-policy)# vlan 24

Configures VLAN name or VLAN ID.

Step 5

accounting-list list-name

Example:

Device(config-wireless-policy)# accounting-list user1-list

Sets the accounting list for IEEE 802.1x.

Step 6

no shutdown

Example:

Device(config-wireless-policy)# no shutdown

Saves the configuration and exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 7

show wireless profile policy summary

Example:

Device# show wireless profile policy summary

Displays the configured policy profiles.

Note

 

(Optional) To view detailed information about a policy profile, use the show wireless profile policy detailed policy-profile-name command.

Configuring a Flex Profile (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Flex.

Step 2

Click Add.

Step 3

Enter the Name of the Flex Profile. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 4

In the Description field, enter a description for the Flex Profile.

Step 5

Click Apply to Device.


Configuring a Flex Profile

Follow the procedure given below to set a flex profile:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

wireless profile flex flex-profile

Example:

Device(config)# wireless profile flex rr-xyz-flex-profile

Configures a Flex profile and enters Flex profile configuration mode.

Step 3

description

Example:

Device(config-wireless-flex-profile)# description xyz-default-flex-profile

(Optional) Enables default parameters for the flex profile.

Step 4

arp-caching

Example:

Device(config-wireless-flex-profile)# arp-caching

(Optional) Enables ARP caching.

Step 5

end

Example:

Device(config-wireless-flex-profile)# end

Saves the configuration and exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 6

show wireless profile flex summary

Example:

Device# show wireless profile flex summary  

(Optional) Displays the flex-profile parameters.

Note

 

To view detailed parameters about the flex profile, use the show wireless profile flex detailed flex-profile-name command.

Configuring an AP Profile (GUI)

Before you begin

The default AP join profile values will have the global AP parameters and the AP group parameters. The AP join profile contains attributes that are specific to AP, such as CAPWAP, IPv4/IPv6, UDP Lite, High Availability, retransmit configuration parameters, global AP failover, Hyperlocation configuration parameters, Telnet/SSH, 11u parameters, and so on.

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > AP Join.

Step 2

On the AP Join Profile page, click Add.

The Add AP Join Profile page is displayed.

Note

 

DHCP fallback is enabled by default. So, if an AP is assigned a static IP address and unable to reach the controller, the AP falls back to the DHCP. To stop an AP from moving the static IP to DHCP, you must disable the DHCP fallback configuration in an AP join profile.

Step 3

In the General tab, enter a name and description for the AP join profile. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 4

Check the LED State check box to set the LED state of all APs connected to the device to blink so that the APs are easily located.

Step 5

In the Client tab and Statistics Timer section, enter the time in seconds that the AP sends its 802.11 statistics to the controller.

Step 6

In the TCP MSS Configuration section, check the Adjust MSS Enable check box to enter value for Adjust MSS. You can enter or update the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router. TCP MSS adjustment enables the configuration of the maximum segment size (MSS) for transient packets that traverse a router, specifically TCP segments with the SYN bit set.

In a CAPWAP environment, a lightweight access point discovers a device by using CAPWAP discovery mechanisms, and then sends a CAPWAP join request to the device. The device sends a CAPWAP join response to the access point that allows the access point to join the device.

When the access point joins the device, the device manages its configuration, firmware, control transactions, and data transactions.

Step 7

In the CAPWAP tab, you can configure the following:

  • High Availability

    You can configure primary and secondary backup controllers for all access points (which are used if primary, secondary, or tertiary controllers are not responsive) in this order: primary, secondary, tertiary, primary backup, and secondary backup. In addition, you can configure various timers, including heartbeat timers and discovery request timers. To reduce the controller failure detection time, you can configure the fast heartbeat interval (between the controller and the access point) with a smaller timeout value. When the fast heartbeat timer expires (at every heartbeat interval), the access point determines if any data packets have been received from the controller within the last interval. If no packets have been received, the access point sends a fast echo request to the controller.

  1. In the High Availability tab, enter the time (in seconds) in the Fast Heartbeat Timeout field to configure the heartbeat timer for all access points. Specifying a small heartbeat interval reduces the amount of time it takes to detect device failure.

    Note

     

    Configure Fast Heartbeat Timeout to assist AP in sending primary discovery request periodically to the configured backup controllers along with the primary, secondary, and tertiary-base controllers.

  2. In the Heartbeat Timeout field, enter the time (in seconds) to configure the heartbeat timer for all access points. Specifying a small heartbeat interval reduces the amount of time it takes to detect device failure.

  3. In the Discovery Timeout field, enter a value between 1 and 10 seconds (inclusive) to configure the AP discovery request timer.

  4. In the Primary Discovery Timeout field, enter a value between 30 and 3000 seconds (inclusive) to configure the access point primary discovery request timer.

  5. In the Primed Join Timeout field, enter a value between 120 and 43200 seconds (inclusive) to configure the access point primed join timeout.

  6. In the Retransmit Timers Count field, enter the number of times that you want the AP to retransmit the request to the device and vice-versa. Valid range is between 3 and 8.

  7. In the Retransmit Timers Interval field, enter the time duration between retransmission of requests. Valid range is between 2 and 5.

  8. Check the Enable Fallback check box to enable fallback.

  9. Enter the Primary Controller name and IP address.

  10. Enter the Secondary Controller name and IP address.

  11. Click Save & Apply to Device.

    Note

     
    The primary and secondary settings in the AP join profile are not used for AP fallback. This means that the AP will not actively probe for those controllers (which are a part of the AP join profile), when it has joined one of them.

    This setting is used only when the AP loses its connection with the controller, and then prioritizes which other controller it should join. These controllers have a priority of 4 and 5, following APs in the High Availability tab of the AP page.

    The APs that are added as the primary, secondary, and tertiary APs in the High Availability tab of the AP configuration page, are actively probed and are used for the AP fallback option.

  • Advanced

  1. In the Advanced tab, check the Enable VLAN Tagging check box to enable VLAN tagging.

  2. Check the Enable Data Encryption check box to enable Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) data encryption.

  3. Check the Enable Jumbo MTU to enable big maximum transmission unit (MTU). MTU is the largest physical packet size, measured in bytes, that a network can transmit. Any messages larger than the MTU are divided into smaller packets before transmission. Jumbo frames are frames that are bigger than the standard Ethernet frame size, which is 1518 bytes (including Layer 2 (L2) header and FCS). The definition of frame size is vendor-dependent, as these are not part of the IEEE standard.

  4. Use the Link Latency drop-down list to select the link latency. Link latency monitors the round-trip time of the CAPWAP heartbeat packets (echo request and response) from the AP to the controller and back.

  5. From the Preferred Mode drop-down list, choose the mode.

  6. Click Save & Apply to Device.

Step 8

In the AP tab, you can configure the following:

  • General

  1. In the General tab, check the Switch Flag check box to enable switches.

  2. Check the Power Injector State check box if power injector is being used. Power Injector increases wireless LAN deployment flexibility of APs by providing an alternative powering option to local power, inline power-capable multiport switches, and multiport power patch panels.

    Power Injector Selection parameter enables you to protect your switch port from an accidental overload if the power injector is inadvertently bypassed.

  3. From the Power Injector Type drop-down list, choose power injector type from the following options:

    • Installed—This option examines and remembers the MAC address of the currently connected switch port and assumes that a power injector is connected. Choose this option if your network contains older Cisco 6-Watt switches and you want to avoid possible overloads by forcing a double-check of any relocated access points.

      If you want to configure the switch MAC address, enter the MAC address in the Injector Switch MAC Address text box. If you want the access point to find the switch MAC address, leave the Injector Switch MAC Address text box blank.

      Note

       

      Each time an access point is relocated, the MAC address of the new switch port fails to match the remembered MAC address, and the access point remains in low-power mode. You must then physically verify the existence of a power injector and reselect this option to cause the new MAC address to be remembered.

    • Override—This option allows the access point to operate in high-power mode without first verifying a matching MAC address. You can use this option if your network does not contain any older Cisco 6-W switches that could be overloaded if connected directly to a 12-W access point. The advantage of this option is that if you relocate the access point, it continues to operate in high-power mode without any further configuration. The disadvantage of this option is that if the access point is connected directly to a 6-W switch, an overload occurs.

  4. In the Injector Switch MAC field, enter the MAC address of the switch .

  5. From the EAP Type drop-down list, choose the EAP type as EAP-FAST, EAP-TLS, or EAP-PEAP.

  6. From the AP Authorization Type drop-down list, choose the type as either CAPWAP DTLS + or CAPWAP DTLS.

  7. In the Client Statistics Reporting Interval section, enter the interval for 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios in seconds.

  8. Check the Enable check box to enable extended module.

  9. From the Profile Name drop-down list, choose a profile name for mesh.

  10. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • Hyperlocation: Cisco Hyperlocation is a location solution that allows to track the location of wireless clients with the accuracy of one meter. Selecting this option disables all other fields in the screen, except NTP Server.

  1. In the Hyperlocation tab, check the Enable Hyperlocation check box.

  2. Enter the Detection Threshold value to filter out packets with low RSSI. The valid range is –100 dBm to –50 dBm.

  3. Enter the Trigger Threshold value to set the number of scan cycles before sending a BAR to clients. The valid range is 0 to 99.

  4. Enter the Reset Threshold value to reset value in scan cycles after trigger. The valid range is 0 to 99.

  5. Enter the NTP Server IP address.

  6. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • BLE: If your APs are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled, they can transmit beacon messages that are packets of data or attributes transmitted over a low energy link. These BLE beacons are frequently used for health monitoring, proximity detection, asset tracking, and in-store navigation. For each AP, you can customize BLE Beacon settings configured globally for all APs.

  1. In the BLE tab, enter a value in the Beacon Interval field to indicate how often you want your APs to send out beacon advertisements to nearby devices. The range is from 1 to 10, with a default of 1.

  2. In the Advertised Attenuation Level field, enter the attenuation level. The range is from 40 to 100, with a default of 59.

  3. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • Packet Capture: Packet Capture feature allows to capture the packets on the AP for the wireless client troubleshooting. The packet capture operation is performed on the AP by the radio drivers on the current channel on which it is operational, based on the specified packet capture filter.

  1. In the Packet Capture tab, choose an AP Packet Capture Profile from the drop-down list.

  2. You can also create a new profile by clicking the + sign.

  3. Enter a name and description for the AP packet capture profile.

  4. Enter the Buffer Size.

  5. Enter the Duration.

  6. Enter the Truncate Length information.

  7. In the Server IP field, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.

  8. In the File Path field, enter the directory path.

  9. Enter the username and password details.

  10. From the Password Type drop-down list, choose the type.

  11. In the Packet Classifiers section, use the option to select or enter the packets to be captured.

  12. Click Save.

  13. Click Save & Apply to Device.

Step 9

In the Management tab, you can configure the following:

  • Device

  1. In the Device tab, enter the IPv4/IPv6 Address of the TFTP server, TFTP Downgrade section.

  2. In the Image File Name field, enter the name of the software image file.

  3. From the Facility Value drop-down list, choose the appropriate facility.

  4. Enter the IPv4 or IPv6 address of the host.

  5. Choose the appropriate Log Trap Value.

  6. Enable Telnet and/or SSH configuration, if required.

  7. Enable core dump, if required.

  8. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • User

  1. In the User tab, enter username and password details.

  2. Choose the appropriate password type.

  3. In the Secret field, enter a custom secret code.

  4. Choose the appropriate secret type.

  5. Choose the appropriate encryption type.

  6. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • Credentials

  1. In the Credentials tab, enter local username and password details.

  2. Choose the appropriate local password type.

  3. Enter 802.1x username and password details.

  4. Choose the appropriate 802.1x password type.

  5. Enter the time in seconds after which the session should expire.

  6. Enable local credentials and/or 802.1x credentials as required.

  7. Click Save & Apply to Device.

  • CDP Interface

  1. In the CDP Interface tab, enable the CDP state, if required.

  2. Click Save & Apply to Device.

Step 10

In the Rogue AP tab, check the Rogue Detection check box to enable rogue detection.

Step 11

In the Rogue Detection Minimum RSSI field, enter the RSSI value.

This field specifies the minimum RSSI value for which a Rogue AP should be reported. All Rogue APs with RSSI lower than what is configured will not be reported to controller.

Step 12

In the Rogue Detection Transient Interval field, enter the transient interval value.

This field indicates how long the Rogue AP should be seen before reporting the controller.

Step 13

In the Rogue Detection Report Interval field, enter the report interval value.

This field indicates the frequency (in seconds) of Rogue reports sent from AP to controller.

Step 14

Check the Rogue Containment Automatic Rate Selection check box to enable rogue containment automatic rate selection.

Here, the AP selects the best rate for the target Rogue, based on its RSSI.

Step 15

Check the Auto Containment on FlexConnect Standalone check box to enable the feature.

Here, the AP will continue containment in case it moves to FlexConnect standalone mode.

Step 16

Click Save & Apply to Device.


Configuring an AP Profile (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure and AP profile:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap profile ap-profile

Example:

Device(config)# ap profile xyz-ap-profile 

Configures an AP profile and enters AP profile configuration mode.

Note

 

In an AP profile, the EAP-FAST is the default EAP type.

Note

 

When you delete a named profile, the APs associated with that profile will not revert to the default profile.

Step 3

description ap-profile-name

Example:

Device(config-ap-profile)# description "xyz ap profile"

Adds a description for the ap profile.

Step 4

ip dhcp fallback

Example:

Device(config-ap-profile)# ip dhcp fallback

Configures DHCP fallback.

Note

 

DHCP fallback is enabled by default. So, if an AP is assigned a static IP address and unable to reach the controller, the AP falls back to the DHCP. To stop an AP from moving the static IP to DHCP, you must disable the DHCP fallback configuration in an AP join profile.

Step 5

cdp

Example:

Device(config-ap-profile)# cdp

Enables CDP for all Cisco APs.

Step 6

end

Example:

Device(config-ap-profile)# end

Saves the configuration and exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 7

show ap profile nameprofile-name detailed

Example:

Device# show ap profile name xyz-ap-profile detailed  

(Optional) Displays detailed information about an AP join profile.

Configuring User for AP Management (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure a user for the AP management:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap profile ap-profile

Example:

Device(config)# ap profile default-ap-profile 

Configures an AP profile and enters AP profile configuration mode.

Step 3

mgmtuser username <username> password {0 | 8} <password>

Example:

Device(config-ap-profile)# mgmtuser username myusername password 0 12345678

Specifies the AP management username and password for managing all of the access points configured to the controller.

  • 0: Specifies an UNENCRYPTED password.

  • 8: Specifies an AES encrypted password.

Note

 

While configuring an username, ensure that special characters are not used as it results in error with bad configuration.

Step 4

end

Example:

Device(configure-ap-profile)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Setting a Private Configuration Key for Password Encryption

Follow the procedure given below to set a private configuration key for password encryption:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

key config-key password encrypt key <config-key>

Example:

Device(config)# key config-key password-encrypt 12345678

Sets the password encryption keyword.

Here, config-key refers to any key value with minimum 8 characters.

Note

 

The config-key value must not begin with the following special characters:

!, #, and ;

Step 3

password encryption aes

Example:

Device(config)# password encryption aes

Enables the encrypted preshared key.

Step 4

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Configuring an RF Profile (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > RF.

Step 2

On the RF Profile page, click Add.

Step 3

In the General tab, enter a name for the RF profile. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 4

Choose the appropriate Radio Band.

Step 5

To enable the profile, set the status as Enable.

Step 6

Enter a Description for the RF profile.

Step 7

Click Save & Apply to Device.


Configuring an RF Profile (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure an RF profile:

Before you begin

Ensure that you use the same RF profile name that you create here, when configuring the wireless RF tag too. If there is a mismatch in the RF profile name (for example, if the RF tag contains an RF profile that does not exist), the corresponding radios will not come up.

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap dot11 24ghz rf-profile rf-profile

Example:

Device(config)# ap dot11 24ghz rf-profile rfprof24_1

Configures an RF profile and enters RF profile configuration mode.

Note

 
Use the 24ghz command to configure the 802.11b parameters. Use the 5ghz command to configure the 802.11a parameters.

Step 3

default

Example:

Device(config-rf-profile)# default

(Optional) Enables default parameters for the RF profile.

Step 4

no shutdown

Example:

Device(config-rf-profile)# no shutdown

Enables the RF profile on the device.

Step 5

end

Example:

Device(config-rf-profile)# end

Exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 6

show ap rf-profile summary

Example:

Device# show ap rf-profile summary

(Optional) Displays the summary of the available RF profiles.

Step 7

show ap rf-profile name rf-profile detail

Example:

Device# show ap rf-profile name rfprof24_1 detail

(Optional) Displays detailed information about a particular RF profile.

Configuring a Site Tag (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags.

Step 2

On the Manage Tags page, click the Site tab.

Step 3

Click Add to view the Add Site Tag window.

Step 4

Enter a name and description for the site tag. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 5

Choose the required AP Join Profile to be attached to the site tag.

Step 6

Choose the required Control Plane Name.

Step 7

If required, enable the Local Site.

Disabling Local Site means that the site is remote and the deployment is FlexConnect mode.

Step 8

Click Save & Apply to Device.


Configuring a Site Tag (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure a site tag:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

wireless tag site site-name

Example:

Device(config)# wireless tag site rr-xyz-site 

Configures a site tag and enters site tag configuration mode.

Step 3

flex-profile flex-profile-name

Example:

Device(config-site-tag)# flex-profile rr-xyz-flex-profile

Configures a flex profile.

Note

 

You cannot remove the flex profile configuration from a site tag if local site is configured on the site tag.

Note

 

The no local-site command needs to be used to configure the Site Tag as Flexconnect, otherwise the Flex profile config does not take effect.

Step 4

description site-tag-name

Example:

Device(config-site-tag)# description "default site tag"

Adds a description for the site tag.

Step 5

end

Example:

Device(config-site-tag)# end

Saves the configuration and exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 6

show wireless tag site summary

Example:

Device# show wireless tag site summary  

(Optional) Displays the number of site tags.

Note

 

To view detailed information about a site, use the show wireless tag site detailed site-tag-name command.

Note

 

The output of the show wireless loadbalance tag affinity wncd wncd-instance-number command displays default tag (site-tag) type, if both site tag and policy tag are not configured.

Configuring Policy Tag (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags > Policy.

Step 2

Click Add to view the Add Policy Tag window.

Step 3

Enter a name and description for the policy tag. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 4

Click Add to map WLAN and policy.

Step 5

Choose the WLAN profile to map with the appropriate policy profile, and click the tick icon.

Step 6

Click Save & Apply to Device.


Configuring a Policy Tag (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure a policy tag:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

enable

Example:

Device> enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

wireless tag policy policy-tag-name

Example:

Device(config-policy-tag)# wireless tag policy default-policy-tag

Configures policy tag and enters policy tag configuration mode.

Note

 

When performing LWA, the clients connected to a controller gets disconnected intermittently before session timeout.

Step 4

description description

Example:

Device(config-policy-tag)# description "default-policy-tag"

Adds a description to a policy tag.

Step 5

remote-lan name policy profile-policy-name {ext-module| port-id }

Example:

Device(config-policy-tag)# remote-lan rr-xyz-rlan-aa policy rr-xyz-rlan-policy1 port-id 2

Maps a remote-LAN profile to a policy profile.

Step 6

wlan wlan-name policy profile-policy-name

Example:

Device(config-policy-tag)# wlan rr-xyz-wlan-aa policy rr-xyz-policy-1

Maps a policy profile to a WLAN profile.

Step 7

end

Example:

Device(config-policy-tag)# end

Exits policy tag configuration mode, and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 8

show wireless tag policy summary

Example:

Device# show wireless tag policy summary

(Optional) Displays the configured policy tags.

Note

 

To view detailed information about a policy tag, use the show wireless tag policy detailed policy-tag-name command.

Configuring Wireless RF Tag (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

  1. Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags > RF.

Step 2

Click Add to view the Add RF Tag window.

Step 3

Enter a name and description for the RF tag. The name can be ASCII characters from 32 to 126, without leading and trailing spaces.

Step 4

Choose the required 5 GHz Band RF Profile and 2.4 GHz Band RF Profile to be associated with the RF tag.

Step 5

Click Update & Apply to Device.


Configuring Wireless RF Tag (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to configure a wireless RF tag:

Before you begin

  • You can use only two profiles (2.4-GHz and 5-GHz band RF profiles) in an RF tag.

  • Ensure that you use the same AP tag name that you created when configuring the AP tag task too.

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

wireless tag rf rf-tag

Example:

Device(config)# wireless tag rf rftag1

Creates an RF tag and enters wireless RF tag configuration mode.

Step 3

24ghz-rf-policy rf-policy

Example:

Device(config-wireless-rf-tag)# 24ghz-rf-policy rfprof24_1

Attaches an IEEE 802.11b RF policy to the RF tag.

To configure a dot11a policy, use the 5ghz-rf-policy command.

Step 4

description policy-description

Example:

Device(config-wireless-rf-tag)# description Test

Adds a description for the RF tag.

Step 5

end

Example:

Device(config-wireless-rf-tag)# end

Exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 6

show wireless tag rf summary

Example:

Device# show wireless tag rf summary

Displays the available RF tags.

Step 7

show wireless tag rf detailed rf-tag

Example:

Device# show wireless tag rf detailed rftag1

Displays detailed information of a particular RF tag.

Attaching a Policy Tag and Site Tag to an AP (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Wireless > Access Points.

The All Access Points section displays details of all the APs on your network.

Step 2

To edit the configuration details of an AP, select the row for that AP.

The Edit AP window is displayed.

Step 3

In the General tab and Tags section, specify the appropriate policy, site, and RF tags, that you created on the Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags page.

Step 4

Click Update & Apply to Device.


Attaching Policy Tag and Site Tag to an AP (CLI)

Follow the procedure given below to attach a policy tag and a site tag to an AP:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap mac-address

Example:

Device(config)# ap F866.F267.7DFB 

Configures a Cisco AP and enters AP profile configuration mode.

Note

 

The mac-address should be a wired mac address.

Step 3

policy-tag policy-tag-name

Example:

Device(config-ap-tag)# policy-tag rr-xyz-policy-tag

Maps a policy tag to the AP.

Step 4

site-tag site-tag-name

Example:

Device(config-ap-tag)# site-tag rr-xyz-site

Maps a site tag to the AP.

Step 5

rf-tag rf-tag-name

Example:

Device(config-ap-tag)# rf-tag rf-tag1

Associates the RF tag.

Step 6

end

Example:

Device(config-ap-tag)# end

Saves the configuration, exits configuration mode, and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 7

show ap tag summary

Example:

Device# show ap tag summary  

(Optional) Displays AP details and the tags associated to it.

Step 8

show ap name <ap-name> tag info

Example:

Device# show ap name ap-name tag info  

(Optional) Displays the AP name with tag information.

Step 9

show ap name <ap-name> tag detail

Example:

Device# show ap name ap-name tag detail  

(Optional) Displays the AP name with tag details.

AP Filter

Introduction to AP Filter

The introduction of tags in the new configuration model in the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller has created multiple sources for tags to be associated with access points (APs). Tag sources can be static configuration, AP filter engine, per-AP PNP, or default tag sources. In addition to this, the precedence of the tags also plays an important role. The AP filter feature addresses these challenges in a seamless and intuitive manner.

AP filters are similar to the access control lists (ACLs) used in the controller and are applied at the global level. You can add AP names as filters, and other attributes can be added as required. Add the filter criteria as part of the discovery requests.

The AP Filter feature organizes tag sources with the right priority, based on the configuration.

You cannot disable the AP filter feature. However, the relative priority of a tag source can be configured using ap filter-priority priority filter-name command.


Note


You can configure tag names at the PnP server (similar to the Flex group and AP group) and the AP stores and send the tag name as part of discovery and join requests.


Set Tag Priority (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags > AP > Tag Source.

Step 2

Drag and Drop the Tag Sources to change priorities.


Set Tag Priority

Multiple tag sources might result in ambiguity for network administrators. To address this, you can define priority for tags. When an AP joins the controller, the tags are picked based on priority. If precedence is not set, the defaults are used.

Use the following procedure to set tag priority:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters the global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap tag-source-priority source-priority source {filter | pnp}

Example:

Device(config)# ap tag-source-priority 2 source pnp

Configures AP tag source priority.

Note

 

It is not mandatory to configure AP filter. It comes with default priorities for Static, Filter, and PnP.

Step 3

end

Example:

Device(config)# end

Exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Step 4

ap tag-sources revalidate

Example:

Device# ap tag-sources revalidate

Revalidates AP tag sources. The priorities become active only after this command is run.

Note

 

If you change the priorities for Filter and PnP, and want to evaluate them, run the revalidate command.

Create an AP Filter (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags > AP > Filter.

Step 2

Click Add.

Step 3

In the Associate Tags to AP dialog box which is displayed, enter the Rule Name, the AP name regex and the Priority. Optionally, you can also choose the policy tag from the Policy Tag Name drop-down list, the site tag from the Site Tag Name drop-down list and the RF tag from the RF Tag Name drop-down list.

Step 4

Click Apply to Device.


Create an AP Filter (CLI)

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters the global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap filter name filter_name

Example:

Device(config)# ap filter filter-1

Configures an AP filter.

Step 3

ap name-regex regular-expression

Example:

Device(config-ap-filter)# ap name-regex testany

Configures the AP filter based on regular expression.

For example, if you have named an AP as ap-lab-12, then you can configure the filter with a regular expression, such as ap-lab-\d+ , to match the AP name.

Step 4

tag policy policy-tag

Example:

Device(config-ap-filter)# tag policy pol-tag1

Configures a policy tag for this filter.

Step 5

tag rf rf-tag

Example:

Device(config-ap-filter)# tag rf rf-tag1

Configures an RF tag for this filter.

Step 6

tag site site-tag

Example:

Device(config-ap-filter)# tag site site1

Configures a site tag for this filter.

Step 7

end

Example:

Device(config-ap-filter)# end

Exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Set Up and Update Filter Priority (GUI)

Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Tags & Profiles > Tags > AP > Filter.

Step 2

  1. If you want to setup a new AP filter, then click Add. In the Associate Tags to AP dialog box which is displayed, enter the Rule Name, the AP name regex and the Priority. Optionally, you can also select the Policy Tag Name, the Site Tag Name and the RF Tag Name. Click Apply to Device.

  2. If you want to update the priority of an existing AP filter, click on the Filter and in the Edit Tags dialog box and change the Priority. In case the Filter is Inactive, no priority can be set to it. Click Update and Apply to Device.


Set Up and Update Filter Priority

Follow the procedure given below to set and update filter priority:

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap filter priority priority filter-name filter-name

Example:

Device(config)# ap filter priority 10 filter-name test1

Configure AP filter priority. Valid values range from 0 to 1023; 0 is the highest priority.

Note

 

A filter without a priority is not active. Similarly, you cannot set a filter priority without a filter.

Step 3

end

Example:

Device(config-ap)# end

Exits configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode.

Verify AP Filter Configuration

The following show commands are used to display tag sources and filters, and their priorities.

To view the tag source priorities, use the following command:

Device# show ap tag sources

Priority Tag source 
--------------------------------
0 Static 
1 Filter 
2 AP 
3 Default

To view the available filters, use the following command:

Device# show ap filter all

Filter Name             regex             Policy Tag               RF Tag              Site Tag  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
first                   abcd              pol-tag1                 rf-tag1             site-tag1 
test1                   testany                                                        site1     
filter1                 testany                                                                  

To view the list of active filters, use the following command:


Device# show ap filters active 

Priority   Filter Name       regex          Policy Tag              RF Tag              Site Tag                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10         test1             testany                                                    site1                      

To view the source of an AP tag, use the following command:

Device# show ap tag summary

Number of APs: 4

AP Name          AP Mac         Site Tag Name    Policy Tag Name    RF Tag Name    Misconfigured Tag Source
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AP002A.1034.CA78 002a.1034.ca78 named-site-tag   named-policy-tag   named-rf-tag   No Filter 
AP00A2.891C.2480 00a2.891c.2480 named-site-tag   named-policy-tag   named-rf-tag   No Filter 
AP58AC.78DE.9946 58ac.78de.9946 default-site-tag default-policy-tag default-rf-tag No AP 
AP0081.C4F4.1F34 0081.c4f4.1f34 default-site-tag default-policy-tag default-rf-tag No Default

Configuring Access Point for Location Configuration

Information About Location Configuration

During location configuration, you can perform the following:

  • Configure a site or location for an AP.

  • Configure a set of tags for this location.

  • Add APs to this location.

Any location comprises of the following components:

  • A set of unique tags, one for each kind, namely: Policy, RF and Site.

  • A set of ethernet MAC addresses that applies to the tags.

This feature works in conjunction with the existing tag resolution scheme. The location is considered as a new tag source to the existing system. Similar, to the static tag source.

Prerequisite for Location Configuration

If you configure an access point in one location, you cannot configure the same access point in another location.

Configuring a Location for an Access Point (GUI)

Before you begin


Note


When you create local and remote sites in the Basic Setup workflow, corresponding policies and tags are created in the backend. These tags and policies that are created in the Basic Setup cannot be modified using the Advanced workflow, and vice versa.


Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Wireless Setup > Basic.

Step 2

On the Basic Wireless Setup page, click Add.

Step 3

In the General tab, enter a name and description for the location.

Step 4

Set the Location Type as either Local or Flex.

Step 5

Use the slider to set Client Density as Low, Typical or High.

Step 6

Click Apply.


Configuring a Location for an Access Point (CLI)

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap location name location_name

Example:

Device(config)# ap location name location1

Configures a location for an access point.

Run the no form of this command to remove location for an access point.

Step 3

tag {policy policy_name| rf rf_name | site site_name}

Example:

Device(config-ap-location)# tag policy policy_tag
Device(config-ap-location)# tag rf rf_tag
Device(config-ap-location)# tag site site_tag

Configures tags for the location.

Step 4

location description

Example:

Device(config-ap-location)# location description

Adds description to the location.

Step 5

end

Example:

Device(config-ap-location)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Adding an Access Point to the Location (GUI)


Note


When the tag source is not set to location, the AP count and AP location tagging will not be correctly reflected on the web UI. To change static tag source on the AP, run the no ap ap-mac command on the controller to change AP tag source to default (which is location).


Procedure


Step 1

Choose Configuration > Wireless Setup > Basic.

Step 2

On the Basic Wireless Setup page, click Add to configure the following:

  • General

  • Wireless Networks

  • AP Provisioning

Step 3

In the AP Provisioning tab and Add/Select APs section, enter the AP MAC address and click the right arrow to add the AP to the associated list.

You can also add a CSV file from your system. Ensure that the CSV has the MAC Address column.

Step 4

Use the search option in the Available AP List to select the APs from the Selected AP list and click the right arrow to add the AP to the associated list.

Step 5

Click Apply.


Adding an Access Point to the Location (CLI)

Procedure

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

configure terminal

Example:

Device# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 2

ap location name location_name

Example:

Device(config)# ap location name location1

Configures a location for an access point.

Step 3

ap-eth-mac ap_ethernet_mac

Example:

Device(config-ap-location)# ap-eth-mac 188b.9dbe.6eac

Adds an access point to the location.

Step 4

end

Example:

Device(config-ap-location)# end

Returns to privileged EXEC mode. Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl-Z to exit global configuration mode.

Note

 

After adding an AP to a location, the AP may reset automatically to get the new configuration

Configuring SNMP in Location Configuration

SNMP MIB

The SNMP MIB provides information on a set of managed objects that represent logical and physical entities, and relationships between them.

Table 1. MIB Objects and Notes
MIB Objects Notes
cLApLocationName

Provides the name of the AP location.

cLApLocationPolicyTag

Provides the policy tag configured on the location.

cLApLocationSitetag

Provides the site tag configured on the location.

cLApLocationRfTag

Provides the RF tag configured on the location.

cLAssociatedApsApMac

Provides the configured APs on the location.

Verifying Location Configuration

To view the summary of AP location configuration, use the following command:

Device# show ap location summary

Location Name    Description     Policy Tag           RF Tag           Site Tag  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
first            first floor     default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   default-site-tag  
second           second floor    default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   default-site-tag  

To view the AP location configuration details for a specific location, use the following command:

Device# show ap location details first

Location Name......................: first
Location description...............: first floor
Policy tag.........................: default-policy-tag
Site tag...........................: default-site-tag
RF tag.............................: default-rf-tag

Configured list of APs
005b.3400.0af0   
005b.3400.0bf0

To view the AP tag summary, use the following command:

Device# show ap tag summary

Number of APs: 4
AP Name      AP Mac           Site Tag Name      Policy Tag Name      RF Tag Name      Misconfigured  Tag Source    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asim_5-1     005b.3400.02f0   default-site-tag   default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   Yes            Filter        
Asim_5-2     005b.3400.03f0   default-site-tag   default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   No             Default       
Asim_5-9     005b.3400.0af0   default-site-tag   default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   No             Location      
Asim_5-10    005b.3400.0bf0   default-site-tag   default-policy-tag   default-rf-tag   No             Location

Verifying Location Statistics

To view the AP location statistics, use the following command:

Device# show ap location stats

Location name    APs joined     Clients joined     Clients on 11a     Clients on 11b     
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
first             2             0                   3                  4                  
second            0             0                   0                  0