ZyXEL Communications NWA-3163 & NWA-3166 User Manual

Chapter 5 Management Mode

NWA-3160 Series User’s Guide

Note: The NWA can be a controller AP, standalone AP (default) or a CAPWAP 

managed AP. 

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 management request, looking for an AP in CAPWAP AP 
controller mode.

If there is an AP controller on the network, it receives the management 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.

CAPWAP managed APs must be Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol  (DHCP) 
clients, supplied with an IP address by a DHCP server on your network. 

Furthermore, 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 option 43 on your network’s DHCP server.
• Configure DHCP option 43 with the IP address of the CAPWAP AP controller on 

your network.