Wireless Bridge topology

grod
Just browsing

Wireless Bridge topology

Looking for some input on this topology. Can I pass multiple vlan traffic across an AP setup in bridged mode to extend the LAN? I need to pass a data vlan and a voice vlan.

 

Thanks.

13 REPLIES 13
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

I don't believe so.  When you configure the remote AP you have to select a single SSID for it to be a member of.

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/WiFi_Basics_and_Best_Practices/Extending_the_LAN_with_a_Wireless...

 

The only way to do this would be to use a L3 switch at the remote end.  Hang the VoIP and Data VLANs off that.  You could bridge the WiFi directly into the data VLAN.  Then at the head end add a route for the VoIP VLAN via the remote layer 3 switch.

Is there any way I could bridge the voice vlan rather than the data vlan and use a L3 switch to configure a vlan for the data on the remote end. In your tolpology the voice vlan would be in a different subnet than the main building. I prefer to keep the voice vlan on the same subnet. the data can be separated as it will be a POS station.

PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

Yes.  You could bridge either VLAN and route the other one.

sweet!. Hopefully it will work when I get my trial gear. This is for an outdoor setup so I don't want to install it all and then it don't work. Kinda sucks that these AP's can't just be setup in a point to point via line of sight and then I can configure the switch ports as a trunk.
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

Another option would be to put an access point at the remote site to terminate the bridge link, and then plug that into the WAN port of an MX64.  You would use an MX65 as well which gains you a pair of PoE ports - perfect for phones.

 

Then create a VoIP and Data VLAN on the MX.  These would be routed subnets - not bridged.  The other benefit is you could then apply bandwidth policies and QoS to the data before it goes across the WiFi link.

I see what you mean but I want to keep the voice on the same vlan as the main building. The data can be separate via a L3 switch and routed across that wifi link.
grod
Just browsing

Curious to know why I cant use the AP's as a repeater to extend the LAN?
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

The AP's can only extend a single VLAN.  You can use a pair at the remote end if you want to extend two VLANs using only APs.

I have 4 AP's setup in the topology I need. When I check RF under each AP I can see that mesh neighbors. I thought the AP's could be setup in Bridge mode? I have the SSID configured as Bridge and tagged each AP to be a part of that SSID. Each remote AP is coming up as repeater. Any suggestions or is this the way they operate?

PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

You could potentially use two AP's at the remote site - one to bridge the data SSID to the data VLAN and one to bridge the VoIP SSID to the VoIP VLAN.  The head end would only need a single AP with both SSIDs on it.

I see where you are going with this and it looks like it would work but it would add more cost to the customer. The 2AP  method at the remote site I mean

PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

The little baby MS220-8 supports basic layer 3 routing ...

yep. That would work also rather than a router.
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