Specifications

Configuring Access Points
9-26 Configuring Access Points
Configuring an Auto-DAP Profile for Automatic AP Configuration
Youcanuseaconfiguration Auto‐APProfiletodeployunconfiguredAPs.AnAPthatdoesnot
haveaconfigurationonaRoamAboutSwitchcanreceiveitsconfigurationfromtheAuto‐AP
Profileinstead.
TheAuto‐APProfileassignsanAPnumberandnametotheAP,fromamongtheunused
validAP
numbersavailableontheswitch.TheAuto‐APProfilealsoconfigurestheAPwiththeAPand
radioparametersettingsintheAuto‐APProfile.TheAPandradioparametersettingsintheAuto‐
APProfileareconfigurable.(referto“ConfiguringaAuto‐APProfile”onpage 9‐
27.)
TheAuto‐APProfiledoesnotcontrolSSIDs,encryptionparameters,oranyotherparameters
managedbyserviceprofiles.YoustillneedtoconfigureaserviceprofileseparatelyforeachSSID.
ARoamAboutSwitchcanhaveoneAuto‐APProfile.
How an Unconfigured AP Finds a RoamAbout Switch To Configure It
ThebootprocessforanAPthatdoesnothaveaconfigurationonaRoamAboutSwitchissimilar
totheprocessforconfiguredAPs.AftertheAPstartsup,itusesDHCPtoconfigureitsIP
connectionwiththenetwork.TheAPthenusestheIPconnectiontocontactaRoamAbout
Switch.
TheRoamAboutSwitchcontactedbytheAPdeterminesthebestswitchtouseforconfiguringthe 
AP,andsendstheAPtheIPaddressofthatswitch.Thebestswitchtouseforconfiguring theAPis
theswitchthathasaAuto‐APProfilewithahighbias
setting.IfmorethanoneRoamAbout
SwitchhasaAuto‐APProfilewithahighbiassetting,theswitchthathasthegreatestcapacityto
addnewunconfiguredAPsisselected.
ARoamAboutSwitch’scapacitytoaddnewunconfiguredAP’sisthelesserofthefollowing:
•MaximumnumberofAPsthatcan
beconfiguredontheswitch,minusthenumberthatare
configured
•MaximumnumberofAPsthatcanbeactiveontheswi tch,minusthenumberthatareactive
Configured APs Have Precedence Over Unconfigured APs
WhenaRoamAboutSwitchdeterminestheRoamAboutSwitchIPaddresstosendtoabooting
AP,theswitchgivespreferencetoAPsthatarealreadyconfigured,overunconfiguredAPsthat
requireaAuto‐APProfile.TheRoamAboutSwitchcan directaconfiguredAPtoaswitchthathas
activeAPsconfigured
usingtheAuto‐APProfile,eveniftheswitchdoesnothavecapacityfor
moreactiveAPs.Inthiscase,theRoamAboutSwitchrandomlyselectsanAPusingtheAuto‐AP
Profiletodisconnect,andacceptsaconnectionfromtheconfiguredAPinitsplace.
ThedisconnectedAPcanthenbegin
thebootprocessagaintofindanotherRoamAboutSwitch
thathasaAuto‐APProfile.WhentheAPisdisconnected,theAP’sclientsexperienceaservice
disruption,andwillattempttoassociatewithanotherAPifavailabletoreconnecttotheSSIDthey
wereusing.IfanotherAPisnot
availabletoaclient,theclientcanstillreconnectafterthe
disconnectedAPisconnectedtoanewRoamAboutSwitchandfinishesthebootand
configurationprocess.