Bridge Mode Deployment

AOS 10.x allows you to establish WLAN Wireless Local Area Network. WLAN is a 802.11 standards-based LAN that the users access through a wireless connection. in Bridge mode. In Bridge mode, standalone APs are connected to a switch backbone that is in-turn connected to the Aruba Cloud platform for management and configuration services. When AOS 10.x is deployed in Bridge mode, the network created acts as a physical network. All wireless traffic is terminated locally at the AP and Bridged onto the local Ethernet Ethernet is a network protocol for data transmission over LAN. segment. Saturation issues in the network can be largely avoided if much of the traffic remain local. In other words, in Bridge mode, the data traffic is not tunneled back to the Gateways. In case of slow packet transfer in Bridge Mode, the heartbeat timer is set to a greater value to avoid frequent network disconnection.

The following figure illustrates the bridge-mode deployment.

Figure 1  Bridge Mode Deployment

AP Configuration and Client Connection Workflow

In the bridge mode topology, the AP configuration and client connection workflow includes the following steps:

  1. The administrator configures a WLAN SSID Service Set Identifier. SSID is a name given to a WLAN and is used by the client to access a WLAN network. in the Bridge mode for the AP group in AOS 10.x and the APs in the group inherit this configuration.

  2. The APs in the group advertise the WLAN SSID.

  3. The WLAN client connects to the SSID broadcast on an AP.

  4. Based on the security profile configured for the WLAN SSID, the AP authenticates the client.

  5. Based on the security and role assignment policy configured for the WLAN SSID, the AP derives the user role and VLAN Virtual Local Area Network. In computer networking, a single Layer 2 network may be partitioned to create multiple distinct broadcast domains, which are mutually isolated so that packets can only pass between them through one or more routers; such a domain is referred to as a Virtual Local Area Network, Virtual LAN, or VLAN. information either locally or from the external authentication server.

  6. The client gets an IP address from DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A network protocol that enables a server to automatically assign an IP address to an IP-enabled device from a defined range of numbers configured for a given network.  server.

  7. After the client is successfully connected, the client traffic is encapsulated and sent to the AP.

  8. The AP decrypts and bridges traffic on the client VLAN.

  9. When the client roams from one AP to another within the VLAN, the Cloud-Assisted Roaming Services feature ensures that the client connection is seamless without the need for re-authentication.

Bridge Mode Deployment Workflow

The hardware infrastructure of the Bridge deployment requires APs with ArubaOS10.0.0.0 or later.

The following sections describe the procedures for creating a WLAN SSID with the Bridge forwarding mode, assigning VLANs, and configuring security profiles, user role, and access policies.

Step 1: Follow Pre-Provisioning Procedures

Before you get started with the configuration of WLAN SSID in the Bridge Mode for LAN Local Area Network. A LAN is a network of connected devices within a distinct geographic area such as an office or a commercial establishment and share a common communications line or wireless link to a server. setup, refer the following topic to complete the pre-provisioning procedures:

Getting Started with the Deployment

For deployments using standalone APs, you must configure a WLAN SSID in the Bridge mode. Following are the steps required to configure WLAN SSID in Bridge mode for a LAN environment:

Step 2: Create a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode

An SSID is the primary name associated with an 802.11 802.11 is an evolving family of specifications for wireless LANs developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 802.11 standards use the Ethernet protocol and Carrier Sense Multiple Access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) for path sharing. wireless local area network (WLAN). Client devices use this name to identify and join wireless networks.

For more information on creating a WLAN SSID in bridge mode, see the following sections:

Step 3: Configure a VLAN for a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode

A VLAN is a group of devices on a single or multiple LANs that are logically configured to communicate seamlessly even if they are physically located on different LAN segments.

For more information on configuring VLANs in bridge mode, see the following sections:

Step 4: Configure Security for a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode

AOS 10.x provides security to the following types of network profiles on a WLAN SSID in Enterprise, Personal, Captive Portal A captive portal is a web page that allows the users to authenticate and sign in before connecting to a public-access network. Captive portals are typically used by business centers, airports, hotel lobbies, coffee shops, and other venues that offer free Wi-Fi hotspots for the guest users., and Open network.

For more information on configuring a security profile, see the following sections:

Step 5: Configure Access for a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode

A user access rule defines which users can automatically be assigned user access when logging in to the network.AOS 10.x allows you to configure access rules and roles for WLAN clients in Enterprise, Personal, and Captive Portal networks. However, access rules and user role configurations are not applicable in open security networks.

For more information on configuring access rules and roles for WLAN clients, see Configuring Access Rules and Roles for WLAN Clients in Bridge Mode.

Step 6: View the Network Summary for a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode

The  APs have the ability to automatically provision themselves and connect to Aruba Central after they are powered on. The APs support zero touch provisioning (ZTP Zero Touch Provisioning. ZTP is a device provisioning mechanism that allows automatic and quick provisioning of devices with a minimal or at times no manual intervention.) using which devices can download their provisioning parameters from the Activate server.

For more information on viewing the network summary, see Viewing Network Summary for a WLAN SSID Profile in Bridge Mode.

Bridge Mode Deployment Flowchart

The following figure illustrates the procedure for setting up AOS 10.x in bridge mode.