Users Guide

50 | The Basic User-Centric Networks Dell PowerConnect ArubaOS 5.0 | User Guide
Enabling APs to Connect to the Controller
Before you install APs in a network environment, you must ensure that the APs are able to locate and connect to
the controller. Specifically, you must ensure the following:
z When connected to the network, each AP is assigned a valid IP address
z APs are able to locate the controller
Dell APs use Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) during the AP’s initial boot to grab their software image and
configuration from the controller. After the initial boot, the APs use FTP to grab their software images and
configurations from the controller.
In many deployment scenarios, an external firewall is situated between various Dell devices. Appendix B,
“External Firewall Configuration” describes the network ports that must be configured on the external firewall to
allow proper operation of the network.
Enabling APs to Obtain IP Addresses
Each AP requires a unique IP address on a subnetwork that has connectivity to a controller. Dell recommends
using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to provide IP addresses for APs; the DHCP server can
be an existing network server or an controller configured as a DHCP server.
You can use an existing DHCP server in the same subnetwork as the AP to provide the AP with its IP information.
You can also configure a device in the same subnetwork to act as a relay agent for a DHCP server on a different
subnetwork. Refer to the vendor documentation for the DHCP Server or relay agent for information.
If an AP is on the same subnetwork as the master controller, you can configure the controller as a DHCP server to
assign an IP address to the AP. The controller must be the only DHCP server for this subnetwork.
Enabling the DHCP server on the controller in the WebUI
1. Navigate to the Configuration > Network > IP > DHCP Server window.
2. Select the Enable DHCP Server checkbox.
3. In the Pool Configuration section, click Add.
4. Enter information about the subnetwork for which IP addresses are to be assigned. Click Done.
5. If there are addresses that should not be assigned in the subnetwork:
a. Click Add in the Excluded Address Range section.
b. Enter the address range in the Add Excluded Address section.
c. Click Done.
6. Click Apply at the bottom of the window.
Enable the DHCP server on the controller in the CLI
(host)(config)# ip dhcp excluded-address ipaddr ipaddr2
(host)(config)# ip dhcp pool name
default-router ipaddr
dns-server ipaddr
domain-name name
network ipaddr mask
(host)(config)# service dhcp