Bridging Network VLANs using Ray AP to Wi-Fi SSID:


In this Ray article, we are going to cover how to bridge VLANs on the network switch and propagate them using a Ray wireless Access Point through an SSID broadcasted by the Ray AP.


Pre-requisites:

  • A managed Switch with the VLANs you intend to broadcast and Map to Wi-Fi SSIDs
  • A cabled ethernet network connection between the managed switch and a Ray Access Point.
  • Switch ports connecting to the Ray access points should be configured as trunks with allowed VLANs comprising of the VLAN IDs that you want to bridge and extend to the wireless network as SSIDs.



Refer to the topology below for Bridging VLANs to Ray Wi-Fi SSID:







In the topology above the objective is to broadcast  VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 from the wired network to the Wireless network.


VLAN 10 is represented by Red SSID 1

VLAN 20 is represented by Blue SSID 2


  • Red Smartphones that connect to Wi-Fi SSID 1 will have their traffic bridged to Wired Network  VLAN 10 by RAY AP.
  • Blue Smartphones that connect to Wi-Fi SSID2 will have their traffic bridged to Wired Network VLAN 20 by RAY AP.


To accomplish the above configuration using Ray cloud-managed Access points, we need to create a network interface

in cloud controller under profiles---> Network Interface---> definitions---> WAN.


Follow the steps below:


Step 1:  Click on the profiles tab menu

Step 2: Click on the Available profiles sub-menu

Step 3: Click on the Network interface tab under available profiles.

Step 4: Click on the create Network interface action tab.



Screenshot the image below reference for steps 1 to step 4:



On completing step 4 as shown above by clicking create network interface, A pop-up box with the option to create a new network interface profile will be presented from which we shall name our network interface. In this example for the article, we are creating a network interface for SSID 1 (VLAN 10).






Step 5: Give the network interface a profile name and select the definition as WAN.


in pop-up box Profile name: (name of interface) --->Description:(network int description)---> Definitions--> Select WAN

as the definition.


Its important to select definitions as WAN in step 5 of creating the network interface since we are bridging the RAY AP WAN interface.


Screenshot the image below reference for steps 5:



After selecting definitions for our new network interface profile as WAN in step 5, 

Fields to fill our remaining configurations will be populated as shown.





Step 6: In the VLAN Configuration tab, Enter the VLAN ID for the network interface profile. in this example, it's 10 (for VLAN id 10)


Step 7: In the Ethernet Port Configuration tab, Under the Hardware field drop-down field select your Ray AP model. (In this example we used R6A-C as the hardware.


Step 8:  In the Ethernet Port Configuration tab, in the ports field select all check boxes for port 1 and port 2. since our AP is acting as a bridge extending VLAN 10 to the Wireless Network.





Screenshot the image below reference for steps 6 to step 8:



On completing Step 8, we need to scroll down to the Advance tab entry.




Step 9: In the Advance tab applicable field entry click on the drop-down option and select the  Ray AP operating mode to which this profile should apply, since we are bridging VLANs, we need to select check boxes of Bridge No Firewall &

 Bridge + Firewall as shown in the image below.


Step 10: Click on Save & publish ( Publish in the current cluster) to apply the configuration.



Screenshot the image below reference for steps 9 & step 10:





Step 11: type anything in the pop-up box to describe the reason for publishing the profile. this action is helpful when trying to audit the logs and actions taken.

click on publish.







CREATING WLAN SSID AND ASSOCIATING OUR VLAN NETWORK INTERFACE PROFILE CREATED IN PREVIOUS STEPS 1 TO STEP 11.


In the previous steps 1 to step 11, we were creating a network interface profile for the VLAN.   in the next part below from step 12 to step 21 we are going to create our WLAN profile and link it with our VLAN network interface.


Step 12: Click on the profile menu tab.

Step 13: Click on the Available profile sub-menu tab.

Step 14: Click on the WLAN tab under the available profiles sub-menu

Step 15: Click on create Wlan action tab.


Screenshot the image below reference for steps 12 to step 15:




On completing step 15 above, the WLAN profile tab will pop up from which we should fill in our WLAN network details.


Step 16: In the Profile name field, provide a name for this WLAN profile (for this example I used VLAN 10 SSID)

Step 17: In the definitions field drop-down menu, select Open/Password/Enterprise.

Step 18: In the name field, Provide the name of the Wireless Network, In this example, we used SSID 1 as in our Topology.

Step 19: In the Password Field,  enter your desired WPA2 PSK password to be used for SSID 1 Wi-Fi network.


Screenshot the image below reference for steps 16 to step 19:



The next step 20 is the most important: This is the network interface tab which we chose the network interface profile to associate with the SSID 1 we are creating above.

In this example, we created VLAN 10 SSID 1 network interface earlier in steps 1 to step 11. 




Step 20: On the Network interface tab, in the Bridge + Firewall  Tab drop-down menu, we shall select  VLAN 10-SSID 1 interface.

In case your Ray AP is in Bridge No Firewall mode, Then we use the Bridge No Firewall Drop-down menu and select VLAN 10-SSID 1. then leave the rest of network interface un-selected



Step 21: Click Save & Publish to save our configuration.


Screenshot the image below reference for steps 20 & step 21:



we shall verify the publish command and our Ray AP should now publish SSID 1 which will be bridging VLAN 10 in our wired network interface profile.


We shall repeat steps 1 to step 21 for SSID 2 for bridging VLAN 20. and so on. up to a maximum of 31 SSID'S.


Note:

Ray APs can Bridge a Maximum of 31 VLANs to Wireless SSIDs.





Thanks.


Kind Regards,

Ray Support

support.ray.life