Cisco WLAN Express Setup
Cisco WLAN Express Setup is a simplified, out-of-the-box installation and configuration interface for Cisco Wireless Controllers. This section provides instructions to set up a controller to operate in a small, medium, or large network wireless environment, where access points can join and together as a simple solution provide various services such as corporate employee or guest wireless access on the network.
There are two methods:
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Wired method
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Wireless method
With this, there are three ways to set up a controller:
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Cisco WLAN Express Setup
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Traditional command line interface (CLI) through serial console
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Updated method using network connection directly to the controller GUI setup wizard
Note |
Cisco WLAN Express Setup can be used only for the first time in out-of-the-box installations or when controller configuration is reset to factory defaults. |
Feature History
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Release 7.6.120.0: This feature was introduced and supported only on Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller. It includes an easy-to-use GUI Configuration Wizard, an intuitive monitoring dashboard and several Cisco Wireless LAN best practices enabled by default.
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Release 8.0.110.0: The following enhancements were made:
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Connect to any port: You can connect a client device to any port on the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller and access the GUI configuration wizard to run Cisco WLAN Express. Previously, you were required to connect the client device to only port 2.
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Wireless Support to run Cisco WLAN Express: You can connect an AP to any of the ports on the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller, associate a client device with the AP, and run Cisco WLAN Express. When the AP is associated with the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller, only 802.11b and 802.11g radios are enabled; the 802.11a radio is disabled. The AP broadcasts an SSID named CiscoAirProvision, which is of WPA2-PSK type with the key being password. After a client device associates with this SSID, the client device automatically gets an IP address in the 192.168.x.x range. On the web browser of the client device, go to http://192.168.1.1 to open the GUI configuration wizard.
Note
This feature is not supported on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
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Release 8.1: The following enhancements are made:
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Added support for the Cisco WLAN Express using the wired method to Cisco 5500, Flex 7500, 8500 Series Wireless Controllers and Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller.
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Introduced the Main Dashboard view and compliance assessment and best practices. For more details, see the controller Online Help.
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Configuration Checklist
The following checklist is for your reference to make the installation process easy. Ensure that you have these requirements ready before you proceed:
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Network switch requirements:
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Controller switch port number assigned
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Controller assigned switch port
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Is the switch port configured as trunk or access?
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Is there a management VLAN? If yes, Management VLAN ID
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Is there a guest VLAN? If yes, Guest VLAN ID
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Controller Settings:
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New admin account name
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Admin account password
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System name for the controller
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Current time zone
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Is there an NTP server available? If yes, NTP server IP address
Note
We recommend using a reachable NTP server IP address. APs do not support FQDN in a day0 scenario.
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Controller Management Interface:
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IP address
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Subnet Mask
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Default gateway
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Management VLAN ID
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Corporate wireless network
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Corporate wireless name or SSID
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Is a RADIUS server required?
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Security authentication option to select:
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WPA/WPA2 Personal
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Corporate passphrase (PSK)
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WPA/WPA2 (Enterprise)
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RADIUS server IP address and shared secret
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Is a DHCP server known? If yes, DHCP server IP address
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Guest Wireless Network (optional)
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Guest wireless name/SSID
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Is a password required for guest?
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Guest passphrase (PSK)
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Guest VLAN ID
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Guest networking
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IP address
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Subnet Mask
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Default gateway
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Advanced option: Configure RF Parameters for Client Density as Low, Medium, or High.
Preparing for Setup Using Cisco WLAN Express
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Do not auto-configure the controller or use the wizard for configuration.
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Do not use console interface; the only connection to the controller should be client connected to service port.
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Configure DHCP or assign static IP 192.168.1.X to laptop interface connected to service port.
For more information about Cisco WLAN Express, see WLAN Express Setup and Best Practices Deployment Guide.
This section contains the following subsections:
Setting up Cisco Wireless Controller using Cisco WLAN Express (Wired Method)
Procedure
Step 1 |
Connect a laptop's wired Ethernet port directly to the Service port of the controller. The port LEDs blink to indicate that both the machines are properly connected.
The LEDs on the front panel provide the system status:
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Step 2 |
Configure DHCP option on the laptop that you have connected to the Service port. This assigns an IP address to the laptop from the controller Service port 192.168.1.X, or you can assign a static IP address 192.168.1.X to the laptop to access the controller GUI; both options are supported. |
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Step 3 |
Open any one of the following supported web browsers and type http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar.
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Step 4 |
Create an administrator account by providing the name and password. Click Start to continue. |
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Step 5 |
In the Set Up Your Controller box, enter the following details:
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Step 6 |
In the Create Your Wireless Networks box, in the Employee Network area, use the checklist to enter the following data: |
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Step 7 |
(Optional) In the Create Your Wireless Networks box, in the Guest Network area, use the checklist to enter the following data:
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Step 8 |
In the Advanced Setting box, in the RF Parameter Optimization area, do the following:
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Step 9 |
Click Next. |
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Step 10 |
Review your settings and then click Apply to confirm. The controller reboots automatically. You will be prompted that the controller is fully configured and will be restarted. Sometimes, you might not be prompted with this message. In this scenario, do the following:
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RF Profile Configurations
Procedure
Step 1 |
After a successful login as an administrator, choose to verify whether the Cisco WLAN Express features are enabled by checking that the predefined RF profiles are created on this page.You can define AP Groups and apply appropriate profile to a set of APs. |
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Step 2 |
Choose , verify the client density and traffic type details.
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Default Configurations
When you configure your Cisco Wireless Controller, the following parameters are enabled or disabled. These settings are different from the default settings obtained when you configure the controller using the CLI wizard.
Parameters in New Interface | Default Setting | ||
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Aironet IE | Disabled | ||
DHCP Address Assignment (Guest SSID) | Enabled | ||
Client Band Select | Enabled | ||
Local HTTP and DHCP Profiling | Enabled | ||
Guest ACL | Applied.
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CleanAir | Enabled | ||
EDRRM | Enabled | ||
EDRRM Sensitivity Threshold |
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Channel Bonding (5 GHz) | Enabled | ||
DCA Channel Width | 40 MHz | ||
mDNS Global Snooping | Enabled | ||
Default mDNS profile |
Two new services added:
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AVC (only AV) | Enabled only with following prerequisites:
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Management |
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Virtual IP Address | 192.0.2.1 | ||
Multicast Address | Not configured | ||
Mobility Domain Name | Name of employee SSID | ||
RF Group Name | Default |