imported>Stephan Leeds: /* Standardization */ nonsense “among any brand of access point”

2024-03-20T04:00:09Z

Standardization: nonsense “among any brand of access point”

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'''Lightweight Access Point Protocol''' ('''LWAPP''') is a protocol that can control multiple [[Wi-Fi]] [[wireless access point]]s at once. This can reduce the amount of time spent on configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting a large network. The system will also allow network administrators to closely analyze the network.

This system is installed in a central server that gathers data from RF devices from different brands and settings. The server can command a selected group of devices to apply given settings simultaneously.

== Standardization ==
LWAPP was proposed by [[Airespace]], as a standard protocol to provide interoperability between any brands of access point. Airespace was purchased by [[Cisco]] Systems. Its purpose was to standardize "lightweight" access points with the Internet Engineering Task Force ([[IETF]]), but it was approved as a standard. Sponsored by Cisco Systems, it has been submitted to IETF in RFC 5412.<ref>RFC 5412, ''Lightweight Access Point Protocol'', P. Calhoun, R. Suri, N. Cam-Winget, M. Williams, S. Hares, B. O'Hara, S. Kelly (February 2010)</ref>

Although this protocol has so far not been popular beyond the Airespace/Cisco product lines, the [[CAPWAP]] standard is based on LWAPP. Support for LWAPP is also found in analysis products from [[AirMagnet]], who has implemented a software based on this protocol to analyze Cisco wireless products.<ref>{{cite web
| title = AirMagnet Analyzes Cisco
| url = http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3660906
| first = Eric | last = Griffith | date = 2007-02-20 | work = Wi-Fi Planet
|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122122517/http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3660906 |archive-date=2008-11-22
}}</ref>

Still considered proprietary, LWAPP systems compete with other non-standard lightweight wireless mechanisms from companies like Meru Networks and Aruba Networks.

=== LWAPP Layer 2 ===
On [[Layer 2]], LWAPP only requires a data link connection in order to transfer frames and Layer 2 broadcasts. Even if IP connectivity is not established it will still operate at layer 2.

=== LWAPP Layer 3 and 4 ===
Layer 4 UDP 12222 (data channel) and 12223 (control channel) connectivity must be established to work with this form of the protocol. Broadcasts or [[DHCP]] option 43 can be used to prime the access-points of the network. The controller must be on the same subnet if DHCP is not configured to handle layer 3 LWAPP provisioning. Another option for directing an AP to the controller is by defining the controller on the DNS server of the network.

== See also ==
* [[Capwap|CAPWAP]] - Control and provisioning of wireless access points (CAPWAP) protocol specification

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/controller/4.0/configuration/guide/c40ovrv.html Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 4.0]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3067751 |title=LWAPP: Standardizing Centralized Wi-Fi Management |work=Wi-Fi Planet |author=Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols |date=August 22, 2003 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203122641/http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3067751 |archive-date=2008-12-03}}
* [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5412 Lightweight Access Point Protocol IETF Standard ]
* [http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5415 Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)Protocol Specification ]

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[[Category:Internet protocols]]

Lightweight Access Point Protocol - Revision history

imported>Stephan Leeds: /* Standardization */ nonsense “among any brand of access point”