Updating the AP configuration and establishing the P2P link

If an unassociated AP has received the full WLAN profile with all its settings from the WLC via CAPWAP, as a slave it attempts to establish a P2P link to the master AP assigned to it. The AP simultaneously changes its WLAN operation mode from Client back to Managed.

Since the master AP is already in managed mode, it obtains only an update to its P2P configuration from the WLC via CAPWAP. This informs the AP of the WPA2 passphrase and the peer identification of the AP. For an automatically generated P2P configuration, the peer identification corresponds to the MAC address; for a manual P2P configuration, it corresponds to the name of the slave AP. The master AP labels the SSIDs with *** P2P Info ***.

Once both APs are successfully interconnected over a P2P link, the AutoWDS integration process is concluded. The unassociated AP can then be used by clients (smartphones, laptops, other APs in client mode looking for a master, etc.).

Note: As long as the unassociated AP is in client mode, bridging between a physical WLAN interface and a LAN interface or another physical radio interface is disabled throughout the integration process. The device automatically puts all physical WLAN interfaces on different bridges. Not until successful creation of a P2P connection does the AP switch the bridging back to the original state.