Configure Your Autonomous Cisco AP with multiple SSIDs

Nick Turner

Jan 20, 2017 • 3 min read

Introduction

Here is a quick roundup of the commands required to configure an autonomous Cisco AP with multiple SSIDs per radio.

Let us assume that the AP has already had the basic config applied, as described in this article, Configure Your Cisco AP for Survey via CLI.

The core information in this post originally came from mrncciew blog post
https://mrncciew.com/2012/10/24/multiple-ssid-config-on-autonomous-ap

The goal here is to configure an autonomous Cisco AP to broadcast two SSIDs on the 2.4 GHz radio and a further two different SSIDs on the 5 GHz radio.

Create SSID "ONE"

The SSIDs will be protected with wpa-psk

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#dot11 ssid ONE
SURVEY(config-ssid)#vlan 11
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication open
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication key-management wpa version 2
SURVEY(config-ssid)#wpa-psk ascii 0 CiscoCisco
SURVEY(config-ssid)#mbssid guest-mode
SURVEY(config-ssid)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

That is the first SSID created, assigned a vlan, set authentication to be open, laid the groundwork to protect the WLAN with wpa-psk and finally enabled Multiple BSSID guest mode, so that multiple SSIDs may be "visible".

Create SSID "TWO"

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#dot11 ssid TWO
SURVEY(config-ssid)#vlan 12
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication open
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication key-management wpa version 2
SURVEY(config-ssid)#wpa-psk ascii 0 CiscoCisco
SURVEY(config-ssid)#mbssid guest-mode
SURVEY(config-ssid)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Create Ethernet sub-interface, assign Bridge-Group

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#interface gigabitEthernet 0.11
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 11
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 11
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Create a second Ethernet sub-interface & assign Bridge-Group

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#interface gigabitEthernet 0.12
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 12
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 12
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Create Radio sub-interface, assign Bridge-Group

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#int dot11Radio 0.11
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 11
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 11
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Create a second Radio sub-interface & assign Bridge-Group

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#int dot11Radio 0.12
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 12
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 12
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Assign these SSIDs to the 2.4 GHz radio

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#interface dot11Radio 0
SURVEY(config-if)#mbssid
SURVEY(config-if)#encryption vlan 11 mode ciphers aes-ccm
SURVEY(config-if)#encryption vlan 12 mode ciphers aes-ccm
SURVEY(config-if)#ssid ONE
SURVEY(config-if)#no shut

SSID ONE should appear

SURVEY(config-if)#ssid TWO
SURVEY(config-if)#exit
SURVEY(config)#

Next we configure two further SSIDs; THREE and FOUR, assign these to the 5 GHz interface in a similar way.

Creating and assigning SSIDs THREE and FOUR to the 5 GHz radio

SURVEY#
SURVEY#conf t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SURVEY(config)#dot11 ssid THREE
SURVEY(config-ssid)#vlan 13
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication open
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication key-management wpa version 2
SURVEY(config-ssid)#wpa-psk ascii 0 CiscoCisco
SURVEY(config-ssid)#mbssid guest-mode
SURVEY(config-ssid)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#dot11 ssid FOUR
SURVEY(config-ssid)#vlan 14
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication open
SURVEY(config-ssid)#authentication key-management wpa version 2
SURVEY(config-ssid)#wpa-psk ascii 0 CiscoCisco
SURVEY(config-ssid)#mbssid guest-mode
SURVEY(config-ssid)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#interface gigabitEthernet 0.13
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 13
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 13
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#interface gigabitEthernet 0.14
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 14
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 14
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#int dot11Radio 1.13
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 13
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 13
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#interface dot11Radio 1.14
SURVEY(config-subif)#encapsulation dot1Q 14
SURVEY(config-subif)#bridge-group 14
SURVEY(config-subif)#exit
SURVEY(config)#
SURVEY(config)#interface dot11Radio 1
SURVEY(config-if)#mbssid
SURVEY(config-if)#encryption vlan 13 mode ciphers aes-ccm
SURVEY(config-if)#encryption vlan 14 mode ciphers aes-ccm
SURVEY(config-if)#ssid THREE
SURVEY(config-if)#ssid FOUR
SURVEY(config-if)#no shut 
SURVEY(config-if)#end
SURVEY#

Save the changes we have made

With a good old-fashioned copy run start

SURVEY#
SURVEY#copy running-config startup-config
Destination filename [startup-config]?
Building configuration...
[OK]
SURVEY#