Technical Tip: Deploying Integrated / Infrastructure AP using option 138/43 on Windows DHCP server

[mdeparisse_FTNT]

Description
Integrated and infrastructure AP's are able to either boot locally using layer 2 or layer 3 broadcast discovery and are able to find the controller if it resides on the same local subnet / broadcast domain

If the controller is not on the same VLAN as the AP, then the discovering process may either use DNS (wlan-controller name resolution) or using DHCP option.

The DHCP discovering process is the preferred one as it gives granular control per subnet.

Scope
AP can be deployed across a layer 3 subnet. For this you need to have either a DHCP server on the subnet where the AP resides or a remote DHCP server using DHCP relay.
Solution

Infrastructure AP:

Configure The DHCP server to provide the IP address of the controller to the AP using option 43:

First enter the DHCP Vendor Classes for the corresponding AP model:

In Windows Server
- Open the server manager window and expand the DHCP part

- Right click the IPv4 and select Define Vendor Classes

Add the AP based on the bellow list

- Infrastuctured AP300: ASCII Access Point AP822

- Infrastuctured AP1000: ASCII Access Point AP822

- Infrastuctured AP122: ASCII Access Point AP822

- Infrastuctured AP822: ASCII Access Point AP822

- Infrastuctured AP832: ASCII Access Point AP822

- Infrastuctured FAP421: ASCII Access Point FAP421

- Infrastuctured FAP423: ASCII Access Point FAP423

- Select the predefined Options and values window and add a new type using the string option with code 43:

- Enter the IP address of the controller

- Then add your scope and in the Scope Options add the option 43 using the configure Options as shown below, (right click) :

Integrated AP deployment:

- In order to deploy the Integrated AP solution using the DHCP option 138, you will need first to translate the IP address in Hexadecimal value for example: 10.169.2.49 will be translated in 0XAA90231

- Once this is done, you can then enter the Ctrl Hex value as option 138 using the data type: long, as shown bellow.

In Windows Server

- Right click IPv4 and > Select Set Predefined Options an Values

- Click Add and select data type "long" and code 138

- If you wish to use a different option, you may configure it on the Forti AP CLI directly using the bellow command:

FP # cfg -a AC_DISCOVERY_DHCP_OPTION_CODE=139

FP # cfg -c

restarting wtp daemon ...

FP #