• For indoor mesh networks, the VLAN tagging feature functions as it does for outdoor mesh networks.
Any access port that is not acting as a backhaul is
secondary
and can be used for VLAN tagging.
• VLAN tagging cannot be implemented on RAPs because the RAPs do not have a secondary Ethernet
port, and the primary port is used as a backhaul. However, VLAN tagging can be enabled on MAPs
with a single Ethernet port because the Ethernet port on a MAP does not function as a backhaul and is
therefore a secondary port.
• No configuration changes are applied to any Ethernet interface acting as a backhaul. A warning displays
if you attempt to modify the backhaul’s configuration. The configuration is only applied after the interface
is no longer acting as a backhaul.
• No configuration is required to support VLAN tagging on any 802.11a backhaul Ethernet interface
within the mesh network as follows:
◦ This includes the RAP uplink Ethernet port. The required configuration occurs automatically using
a registration mechanism.
◦ Any configuration changes to an 802.11a Ethernet link acting as a backhaul are ignored and a
warning results. When the Ethernet link no longer functions as a backhaul, the modified
configuration is applied.
• VLAN configuration is not allowed on port-02-cable modem port of AP1500s (wherever applicable).
VLANs can be configured on ports 0 (PoE-in), 1 (PoE-out), and 3 (fiber).
• Up to 16 VLANs are supported on each sector. The cumulative number of VLANs supported by a RAP’s
children (MAP) cannot exceed 16.
• The switch port connected to the RAP must be a trunk:
◦ The trunk port on the switch and the RAP trunk port must match.
◦ The RAP must always connect to the native VLAN ID 1 on a switch. The RAP’s primary Ethernet
interface is by default the native VLAN of 1.
◦ The switch port in the wired network that is attached to the RAP (port 0–PoE in) must be configured
to accept tagged packets on its trunk port. The RAP forwards all tagged packets received from the
mesh network to the wired network.
◦ No VLANs, other than those destined for the mesh sector, should be configured on the switch
trunk port.
• A configured VLAN on a MAP Ethernet port cannot function as a Management VLAN.
• Configuration is effective only when a mesh access point is in the CAPWAP RUN state and
VLAN-Transparent mode is disabled.
• Whenever there roaming or a CAPWAP restart, an attempt is made to apply configuration again.
VLAN Registration
To support a VLAN on a mesh access point, all the uplink mesh access points must also support the same
VLAN to allow segregation of traffic that belongs to different VLANs. The activity by which an mesh access
point communicates its requirements for a VLAN and gets response from a parent is known as VLAN
registration.
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Connecting the Cisco 1500 Series Mesh Access Points to the Network
Configuring Ethernet VLAN Tagging