Description:
LANCOM WLAN controllers offer functions such as configuration, monitoring, firmware management, layer-3 tunneling, roaming acceleration and client steering. In the long term, the capabilities of the WLAN controller will be provided by the LANCOM Management Cloud, so the future is set to be “controller-less”.
As of June 2017 the LANCOM Management Cloud supports configuration, monitoring, firmware management and fast roaming.
WLAN controllers and managed access points thus can be integrated into the Cloud. We recommend that you transfer the WLAN configuration from the WLC to the LMC. This avoids conflicts between the WLC and LMC configurations for the access points.
This document summarizes some basic principles for the migration of existing LANCOM WLAN controller installations into the LANCOM Management Cloud (LMC).
We will deal with the following typical scenarios where a WLAN controller is used to configure access points:
1) There is no Public Spot in operation and no WLC tunnels are configured.
2) A Public Spot is in operation, but no WLC tunnels are used.
3) There is no Public Spot in operation, but WLC tunnels have been configured.
4) The Public Spot and WLC Tunnels are in use.
Requirements:
Procedures:
The following applies to all scenarios:
- Once the networks are created, you also need to create locations where the networks are to be operated.
- The networks and associated devices are assigned to the locations.
- At the end of the configuration, all of the devices at a location are equipped with the new configuration by using the Roll out sites button in the Locations section.
Scenario 1: There is no Public Spot in operation and no WLC tunnels are configured
1.1) If not yet done, you first create a project in your LMC organization.
To do so, go to the navigation area, select the section Projects and click the button Create new project.
1.2) Enter your project and
specify the different
networks and their associated SSIDs .
1.2.1) To do so, go to the
navigation area , select the section
Networks and click the button
Create new network .
1.2.2) Once you have created your network, select it in the network table, and then select the tab
Wi-Fi to setup the appropriate
SSIDs for this network .
1.3) SSIDs that are set up on the same network direct the Wi-Fi clients into the same IP network. This means that the Wi-Fi clients of the various SSIDs are able to see one another.
1.4)
If you require the SSIDs to form separate networks , you need to
create an additional network as described in step 1.2 . Note that
additional networks need to have a unique VLAN ID .
1.5) You can now
use LANconfig or WEBconfig to
deactivate the WLC function of your WLAN controller .
1.6)
If not done already , carry out
a firmware update to LCOS version 10.00 or later ( download ) on all of the LANCOM access points.
1.7)
Perform a reset on all of the managed LANCOM access points so that they are reset to their factory settings.
Instructions on performing a reset are available in the following Knowledge Base document
 .
1.8) The final step is to
pair the LANCOM access points with the LANCOM Management Cloud (see this
video ).
Scenario 2: A Public Spot is in operation, but no WLC tunnels are used
2.1) First, perform
all of the steps described for scenario 1 .
2.2) Once you have performed all of the
steps from scenario 1 , go to the
Networks section and select
the network to be used for the Public Spot .
We used the network
INTRANET in this
example .
2.3) Make sure that this network has
an unencrypted SSID for use by the Public Spot users.
| Feature |
WLC
|
LMC
|
Migration / comments |
| (Group) configuration |
|
|
From the time when devices should no longer be controlled by the WLC, but by the LMC instead, they need to be reset to their factory settings. At the WLC, the APs should be prevented from re-accepting APs. Following this, they should be paired with the LMC for configuration by SMARTconfig. |
| Monitoring |
|
|
For monitoring only, no further steps are required other than pairing the existing devices with the LMC.
Note that the LMC-operating mode of the access points must be set to "Yes" in order for them to communicate with the LMC despite operating with the WLC.
Using the "startlmc" command with the activation code implicitly sets the operating switch on the access points to "Yes". |
| Fast roaming |
|
|
An add-in for activation via SMARTconfig is currently in work. |
| RF optimization |
|
|
Analogous to the radio-field optimization triggered by the WLC, the LMC will also be able to perform radio-field optimization for the APs at a particular location.
This feature is planned for later in 2017 (requires changes in LCOS). |
| Firmware management |
|
|
Simple firmware updates to the latest version with just a few clicks for multiple devices.
Available soon: Definition of policies to determine which firmware is to be used for which devices
Available soon: Scheduler for timing the firmware updates. |
| Layer-3 tunneling |
|
|
The LMC does not support the tunneling of data through the Cloud. Correspondingly, existing WLC tunnel scenarios cannot be migrated 1:1 into the LMC.
One alternative is to operate VLANs.
Available soon: L2TPv3 support for tunneling SSID traffic between AP and router (or other remote devices). |
| Client Steering |
|
|
System constraints require client steering to be computed locally. In the absence of a controller, client steering must be handled by local devices.
A corresponding LCOS update is in work (802.11k and 802.11v, particularly "BSS Transition Management").
At this time (June 2017) the WLC must continue to be operated, or the feature becomes unavailable. |
| Public Spot |
|
|
For scenarios where a Public Spot is operated on the WLC, a different LANCOM device needs to operate the Public Spot at the location until the Public Spot has been implemented in the LMC.
The local Public Spot can then be configured using the LMC individual device configuration.
In the second half of 2017, central elements of the Public Spot will be available in the LMC, such as the central user administration and delivery of the Captive Portal. |
| Band steering |
|
|
An add-in for activation via SMARTconfig is currently in work. |
|
|
