Specifications

AP Overview
9-6 Configuring Access Points
Boot Process for APs
WhenanAPbootsonthenetwork,itusestheprocessdescribedinthissection.Thebootprocess
foradirectlyconnectedAPoccursstrictlybetweentheAPandRoamAboutSwitch,andmakesno
useofthenetwork’sDHCPorDNSservices.
ThebootprocessforaAPconsistsofthe
followingsteps:
1. Establishingconnectivityonthenetwork
2. ContactinganRoamAboutSwitch
3. Loadingandactivatinganoperationalimage
4. ObtainingconfigurationinformationfromtheRoamAboutSwitch
Thesestepsaredescribedinmoredetailinthefollowingsections.
Establishing Connectivity on the Network
WhenanAPisfirstpoweredon,itsbootloaderobtainsanIPaddressfortheAP.TheIPaddressis
eitherobtainedthroughDHCP(thedefault)orcanbestaticallyconfiguredontheAP.
How an AP Obtains an IP Address through DHCP
Bydefault,anAPobtainsitsIPaddressthroughDHCP.TheAPbringsupthelinkontheAP’sport
1andattemptsthebootprocessoutlinedbelow.
1. TheAPsendsaDHCPDiscovermessagefromtheAP’sport1tothebroadcastaddress.
2. IfaDHCPserverispresentonthe
subnetorthrougharouterconfiguredtorelayDHCP,the
serverreplieswithaunicastDHCPOffermessage.TheOffermessagemustcontainthe
followingparameters:
•IPaddressfortheAP
• Domainnameofthenetwork
•IPaddressofthenetwork’sDNSserver
•IPaddressofthesubnet’sdefaultrouter(gateway)
Optionally,the
DHCPOffermessagecanalsocontainalistofRoamAboutSwitchIP addresses
orhostnames,intheOption43field.
3. TheAPbroadcastsaDHCPRequesttotheDHCPservers,andreceivesanAckfromaDHCP 
server.TheAPthenconfiguresitsnetworkconnectionwiththeinformationcontainedinthe

Ackmessagefromthatserver.
Static IP Address Configuration for APs
IncaseswhereDHCPisnotavailable,youcanmanuallyassignIPaddressinformation toanAP.
ThisinformationisconfiguredthroughtheCLI.
YoucanconfigurethefollowinginformationforanAP:
•IPaddress,subnetmask,defaultrouter,andwhethertheconfiguredstaticIPaddress
informationisenabledfortheAP.
•TheIPaddressofasuitableRoamAboutSwitchfortheAPtouseasabootdevice.