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Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)
📖 What is Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)?
A standard protocol that enables a Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) to manage a collection of lightweight access points (LAPs).
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Sensei Says:
"CAPWAP uses UDP ports 5246 for control traffic and 5247 for data traffic. Memorize these ports for the CCNA!"
📚 Certification: Certified Network Associate (200-301)
🔑 What are the Key Concepts of Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)?
- ▸ Standardized protocol based on LWAPP.
- ▸ Separates control traffic (UDP 5246) and data traffic (UDP 5247).
- ▸ Encrypts control traffic by default (DTLS).
🎯 How does Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) appear on the 200-301 Exam?
Identify the UDP ports required for a Lightweight AP to join a WLC through a firewall.
Explain the split-MAC architecture facilitated by CAPWAP.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is CAPWAP data traffic encrypted?
By default, no. Only control traffic is encrypted with DTLS, though data encryption can be enabled on some hardware.
What happens if the CAPWAP tunnel goes down?
Depending on the AP mode (e.g., FlexConnect vs. Local), the AP may stop serving clients or continue switching traffic locally.
Related Terms from Certified Network Associate
Network Address Translation (NAT)
Link-State Database (LSDB)
Directly Connected Static Route
Next-Hop IP Address
DHCP Relay Agent
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)