ZyXEL Communications NWA3000-N User Manual

Chapter 7 Management Mode

NWA3000-N Series User’s Guide

Note: The NWA3000-N series AP can be a standalone AP (default), a CAPWAP 

managed AP, or a CAPWAP AP controller.

The link between CAPWAP-enabled access points proceeds as follows:

An AP in managed AP mode joins a wired network (receives a dynamic IP 
address).

The AP sends out a discovery request, looking for an AP in CAPWAP AP controller 
mode.

If there is an AP controller on the network, it receives the discovery request. If the 
AP controller is in Manual mode it adds the details of the AP to its Unmanaged 
Access Points list, and you decide which available APs to manage. If the AP is in 
Always Accept mode, it automatically adds the AP to its Managed Access 
Points list and provides the managed AP with default configuration information, 
as well as securely transmitting the DTLS pre-shared key. The managed AP is 
ready for association with wireless clients.

A managed NWA3000-N series AP can find the controller in one of the following 
ways:

• Manually specify the controller’s IP address using the commands. See the 

NWA3000-N series AP CLI Reference Guide for details.

• Get the controller’s IP address from a DHCP server with the controller’s IP 

address configured as option 138.

• Broadcasting to discover the controller within the broadcast domain.

The AP controller must have a static IP address; it cannot be a DHCP client.

By default, CAPWAP works only between devices with IP addresses in the same 
subnet (see the appendices for information on IP addresses and subnetting). 

However, you can configure CAPWAP to operate between devices with IP 
addresses in different subnets by doing the following.

• Activate DHCP. Your network’s DHCP server must support option 138 defined in 

RFC 5415.