Tutorial introduction

This Packet Tracer 8.2 wireless tutorial will show you how to configure the Wireless LAN controller and the associated Lightweight Access Points embeded in Cisco Packet Tracer 8.2 including :

  • WLC 2504 intial setup
  • SSID and VLAN configuration on th WLC 2504
  • Security configuration using 802.1x
  • LightWeight Access Points 3702i automatic registration

This tutorial will be based on the following network topology :

Packet Tracer 7.1 wireless tutorial lab topology

Management IP addressing (Vlan 1 / 192.168.1.0/24)

  • Cisco WLC 2504 : 192.168.1.254
  • Catalyst L3 switch : 192.168.1.1 (vlan 1 default gateway / DHCP server)
  • Management laptop : dynamic IP address from DHCP
  • Lightweight Access Points : dynamic IP address from DHCP

 

Cisco WLC 2504 initial setup

Connect to the WLC 2504 using the web browser of the management laptop using http://192.168.1.254 and configure the admin username and password. The admin credentials will be login: admin, password : P@ssw0rd in this tutorial. Make sure to connect using HTTP (unsecure), not HTTPS, for this first connection.

Packet Tracer 7.1 issue : Access to the web interface can fail several times before allowing showing the following page. It works after a random number of tries.

Packat Tracer 7.1 WLC 2504 admin account creation

The second step is to configure time, location, and management IP address of the WLC before creating the first protected Wireless network. Please note that the Guest Network function is not supported in Packet Tracer 8.2 .

Packet Tracer 7.1 WLC 2504 initial setup

After this initial setup, reconnect to the Cisco WLC using HTTPS (https://192.168.1.254). If you try to connect using HTTP (unsecure) the WLC resets the connection but doesn't automatically redirect the connection to the HTTPS url.

SSID and VLAN configuration on the WLC

WLAN creation and SSID to VLAN mapping is configured on the WLAN tab of the WLC configuration. Each WLAN SSID is associated to a VLAN previously created and linked to a pysical interface on Controller tab. Packet Tracer 8.2 supports the following security options :

  • No security
  • WPA2 Personal
  • WPA2 Enterprise (802.1x)
  • Static WEP
  • Static WEP + 802.1x
  • CKIP
  • None + EAP Passthrough

Packet Tracer 7.1 - WLAN creation on WLC

Security configuration using 802.1x

Coming soon

LightWeight Access Points automatic registration

Cisco Lightweight access points are directly connected to the layer 3 Catalyst 3560 switch and are PoE power supplied by the switch, making deployment quite easy. Attention is required for the access switch deployment which needs reduncdant power supplies and suffisant power budget from the closet to power up all the connected WLC.

Switch#show power inline 
Available:370.0(w)  Used:15.0(w)  Remaining:355.0(w)

Interface Admin  Oper       Power   Device              Class Max
                            (Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Fa0/1     auto   on         5.0     Light Weight Access Point0n/a   15.4
Fa0/2     auto   on         5.0     Light Weight Access Point1n/a   15.4
Fa0/3     auto   on         5.0     Light Weight Access Point2n/a   15.4

Lightweight Access Points automatically discover the WLC address using DHCP option 150 configured on the DHCP which has been configured on the Catalyst switch for Vlan 1.

ip dhcp excluded-address 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.9
!
ip dhcp pool MGMT
 network 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0
 default-router 192.168.1.1
 option 150 ip 192.168.1.254

The WLC displays thesuccessfully registered Access Points with thir IP address. detailed data is not available as this function has not been implemented in Packet Tracer 7.1

Light Weight Access Points registered with WLC

Known issues

When configuring the WLC port to trunk mode and applying a static IP to the WLC, connection to the management interface of the WLC fails. The issue has been identified by Cisco and it's correction has been integrated in Packet Tracer 7.1.1

Packet Tracer crashes when configuring DHCP on WLC-PT wireless controller. Issue will be corrected in Packet Tracer 7.2

Legal
Video tutorial "Fundamentals of Wireless Controllers " is extracted from Youtube and subject to the following youtube terms of service :
8.1 When you upload or post Content to YouTube, you grant:
  1. to YouTube, a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence (with right to sub-licence) to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that Content in connection with the provision of the Service and otherwise in connection with the provision of the Service and YouTube's business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats [and through any media channels];
  2. to each user of the Service, a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to access your Content through the Service, and to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display and perform such Content to the extent permitted by the functionality of the Service and under these Terms.