Configuring Offline Management and Antenna Alignment VAPs

Context

APs are often installed in hidden places or at high positions. When an AP becomes faulty, it is inconvenient to connect to the AP through a console port or network cable to troubleshoot faults.

After the offline management VAP function is configured, if an AP goes offline unexpectedly, maintenance personnel only need to set the IP address of a STA to 169.254.2.x/24 (except 169.254.2.1, 169.254.2.100 is recommended). After the STA associates with the offline management VAP, maintenance personnel can connect the STA to the AP in Telnet or STelnet mode to locate and rectify faults, saving the need to connect to the AP through the console port or a network cable.
During WDS/Mesh network deployment, you can configure antenna alignment VAPs for WDS/Mesh nodes to facilitate antenna alignment between neighboring APs. During onsite commissioning, you can use a mobile STA to access an antenna alignment VAP and enable the CloudCampus APP to obtain information such as RSSI of the peer AP radio. Based on this information, you can easily complete antenna alignment. The SSID of the generated antenna alignment VAP is hidden and will be automatically deleted 24 hours after being created.

After the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions are configured, the VAP generated when an AP goes offline is an offline management VAP. When the AP works properly, the VAP generated in WDS/Mesh scenarios is an antenna alignment VAP.

Configure an offline management VAP and an antenna alignment VAP using either of the following methods:

Configure the default offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP: After the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions are enabled, the AP automatically creates an offline management VAP when it goes offline unexpectedly. When the AP works properly, the AP automatically creates an antenna alignment VAP in WDS/Mesh scenarios. The default SSID and password of the antenna alignment VAP are hw_manage_xxxx and hw_manage respectively. xxxx indicates the last four bits of the AP's MAC address. For security purposes, you are advised to change the password of the default SSID (hw_manage_xxxx) of the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP.
Create a new offline management VAP and a new antenna alignment VAP: If any wireless user can use the default SSID and password to log in to an AP, leading to high security risks. To improve security of the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP, bind a security profile of a high security level to a VAP profile, set new SSIDs and passwords, and configure the VAPs generated in the VAP profile as the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP. In this case, the default offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP will not be created.

The procedure for configuring an offline management VAP is the same as that for configuring an antenna alignment VAP.

Procedure

Configure the default offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP.
1. Run the system-view command to enter the system view.
2. Run the wlan command to enter the WLAN view.
3. Run the ap-system-profile name profile-name command to create an AP system profile and enter the AP system profile view.
  By default, the system provides the AP system profile default.
4. Run the undo temporary-management disable command to enable the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions.
  By default, offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions are enabled.
5. (Optional) Run the temporary-management psk command to change the password for the default SSID (hw_manage_xxxx) of the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP.
  The default password of an offline management VAP or antenna alignment VAP is hw_manage.
6. Run the quit command to return to the WLAN view.
7. Apply the AP system profile using any of the following methods:
  - Bind the AP system profile to an AP group.
    1. Run the ap-group name group-name command to enter the AP group view.
    2. Run the ap-system-profile profile-name command to bind the AP system profile to an AP group.
      
      By default, the AP system profile default is bound to an AP group, but no AP system profile is bound to an AP.
  - Bind the AP system profile to an AP.
    1. Run the ap-id ap-id, ap-mac ap-mac, or ap-name ap-name command to enter the AP view.
    2. Run the ap-system-profile profile-name command to bind the AP system profile to an AP.
      
      By default, the AP system profile default is bound to an AP group, but no AP system profile is bound to an AP.
Create an offline management VAP and an antenna alignment VAP.
1. Run the system-view command to enter the system view.
2. Run the wlan command to enter the WLAN view.
3. Configure a security profile.
  1. Run the security-profile name profile-name command to create a security profile used by the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP and enter the security profile view.
    By default, security profiles default, default-wds and default-mesh are available in the system.
  2. Run the security { wpa | wpa2 | wpa-wpa2 } psk { pass-phrase | hex } key-value { aes | tkip | aes-tkip } command to configure a security policy and a key.
    By default, the security policy is open system.
    
    The offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP support only the WEP or WPA/WPA2 PSK authentication mode. You can run the security wep share-key and wep key key-id { wep-40 | wep-104 | wep-128 } { pass-phrase | hex } key-value commands to configure WEP authentication.
  3. Run the quit command to return to the WLAN view.
4. Configure an SSID profile.
  1. Run the ssid-profile name profile-name command to create an SSID profile and enter the SSID profile view.
    By default, the system provides the SSID profile default.
  2. Run the ssid ssid command to configure an SSID name.
    By default, the SSID HUAWEI-WLAN is configured in an SSID profile.
  3. Run the quit command to return to the WLAN view.
5. Configure a VAP profile, and bind it to the SSID profile and the security profile.
  1. Run the vap-profile name profile-name command to create a VAP profile and enter the VAP profile view.
    
    By default, the system provides the VAP profile default.
  2. Run the temporary-management enable command to configure the VAPs as an offline management VAP and an antenna alignment VAP.
    By default, a VAP is a service VAP.
  3. Run the ssid-profile profile-name command to bind the SSID profile to the VAP profile.
    By default, the SSID profile default is bound to a VAP profile.
  4. Run the security-profile profile-name command to bind the security profile to the VAP profile.
    By default, the security profile default is bound to a VAP profile.
  5. Run the quit command to return to the WLAN view.
6. Configure an AP system profile, and enable the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions in the AP system profile.
  1. Run the ap-system-profile name profile-name command to create an AP system profile and enter the AP system profile view.
    By default, the system provides the AP system profile default.
  2. Run the undo temporary-management disable command to enable the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions.
    By default, offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP functions are enabled.
  3. Run the quit command to return to the WLAN view.
7. Apply the VAP profile using any of the following methods:
  - VAPs 1 to 12 and VAP 15 are used for the offline management VAP and antenna alignment VAP configuration. Before using these VAPs, ensure that they are not used by other WLAN services.
  - VAPs 13 and 14 are used for the WDS service. Before using these VAPs, ensure that they are not used by other WLAN services.
  - VAP 16 is used for the Mesh service. Before using this VAP, ensure that it is not used by other WLAN services.
  - Bind the VAP profile to an AP group.
    1. Run the ap-group name group-name command to enter the AP group view.
    2. Run the vap-profile profile-name wlan wlan-id radio { radio-id | all } command to bind the VAP profile to the radio.
      
      By default, no VAP profile is bound to a radio.
  - Bind the VAP profile to an AP.
    1. Run the ap-id ap-id, ap-mac ap-mac, or ap-name ap-name command to enter the AP view.
    2. Run the vap-profile profile-name wlan wlan-id radio { radio-id | all } command to bind the VAP profile to the radio.
      
      By default, no VAP profile is bound to a radio.
  - Bind the VAP profile to radios of an AP group.
    1. Run the ap-group name group-name command to enter the AP group view.
    2. Run the radio radio-id command to enter the radio view.
    3. Run the vap-profile profile-name wlan wlan-id command to bind the VAP profile to radios.
      
      By default, no VAP profile is bound to a radio.
  - Bind the VAP profile to an AP radio.
    1. Run the ap-id ap-id, ap-mac ap-mac, or ap-name ap-name command to enter the AP view.
    2. Run the radio radio-id command to enter the radio view.
    3. Run the vap-profile profile-name wlan wlan-id command to bind the VAP profile to radios.
      
      By default, no VAP profile is bound to a radio.
8. Run the quit command until you return to the WLAN view.
9. Apply the AP system profile using any of the following methods:
  - Bind the AP system profile to an AP group.
    1. Run the ap-group name group-name command to enter the AP group view.
    2. Run the ap-system-profile profile-name command to bind the AP system profile to an AP group.
      
      By default, the AP system profile default is bound to an AP group, but no AP system profile is bound to an AP.
  - Bind the AP system profile to an AP.
    1. Run the ap-id ap-id, ap-mac ap-mac, or ap-name ap-name command to enter the AP view.
    2. Run the ap-system-profile profile-name command to bind the AP system profile to an AP.
      
      By default, the AP system profile default is bound to an AP group, but no AP system profile is bound to an AP.