User Guide

Table Of Contents
Configuring AP access points 237
Nortel WLAN Security Switch 2300 Series Configuration Guide
2 The DHCP server replies with a DHCP Offer message containing an IP address for the AP, the
gateway IP address for the AP’s IP subnet, the DNS server address, and the domain name. AP
then sends a DHCP Request message to the server and receives an Ack from the server.
3 The AP sends a broadcast Find WSS message to the IP subnet broadcast address.
4 When no WSS switches reply, the AP resends the Find WSS broadcast 11 more times. After 12
attempts, the AP attempts to find an WSS based on DHCP option 43 values received in the
DHCP Ack.
5 When the AP is unable to locate an WSS on the subnet it is connected to, and is unable to find
an WSS based on DHCP option 43, the AP then sends a DNS request for
NORTEL.example.com and wlan.example.com.
6 The DNS server sends the system IP address of the WSS switch mapped to
NORTEL.example.com or wlan example.com. In this example, the address is for WSS1.
7 The AP sends a unicast Find WSS message to WSS1.
8 WSS1 receives the Find WSS message and compares the bias settings on each WSS for the AP.
More than one WSS has a high bias for the AP, so WSS1 selects the WSS that has the greatest
capacity to add new active AP connections. In this example, WSS1 has more capacity. WSS1
sends its own IP address in the Find WSS Reply message to the AP.
9 The AP requests a software image and configuration from WSS1.
Example Boot of Dual-Homed AP
Figure 14 on page 238 shows an example of the boot process for an AP that is dual homed with a direct
connection to WSS1 and an indirect connection to WSS2 and WSS3. In this configuration, since the AP is
directly connected to an WSS switch, the AP boots using the directly connected WSS switch regardless of the