Aruba Instant On Deployment Concepts

The Aruba Instant On Solution currently supports three types of deployments, namely:

• Wireless Deployment—Access Point Only
• Wired Deployment—Switch Only
• Wired and Wireless Deployment—Access Point and Switch

During the initial setup, you need to select one of the above deployment modes based on the type of network you want to create.

Wireless Deployment—Access Point Only

The wireless deployment mode is suitable for users whose network infrastructure would mainly consist of the Instant On access points. You begin to create your site by powering on your Instant On APs and ensuring they are connected to the internet. A choice is presented to configure the APs in a private network or a router based setup. The network you create when you go through the initial setup will be the default network in your site and cannot be deleted. The SSID of this default network will be in the read-write mode and can be modified as deemed necessary. However, the management VLAN assigned to this default network will be read-only and cannot be modified. Once you have completed the initial setup, you can choose to extend your network using additional APs or switches. In this deployment, you are allowed to create a maximum of 8 wireless networks on a site. For more information, see Setting Up Your Wireless Network.

Wired Deployment—Switch Only

The wired deployment mode is suitable for users whose network infrastructure is focused mainly on the onboarding of Instant On switches. The initial setup using the Instant On mobile app or web application takes you through a step-by-step process of onboarding your switch. The switch must be powered on and connected to the internet to complete the onboarding process. A wired network is created on completing the initial setup and will serve as the default network for the site and cannot be deleted. Unlike the wireless networks, the wired network will not require you to create an SSID and password for the network. The site name is retained as the wired network name and a default management VLAN ID is set during this process. At a later point in time, you can choose to add Instant On APs to the site by extending your network and following the process of creating a wireless SSID. In this deployment, you are allowed to create a maximum of 22 wired networks on a site. For more information, see Setting Up Your Wired Network.

Wired and Wireless Deployment—Access Point and Switch

The wired and wireless deployment is suitable for users whose network infrastructure includes a combination of wired Instant On switches and wireless Instant On APs. The initial setup is similar to that of the wireless network, where you are presented with two choices, to either connect your APs in a private network or a router based setup. In this deployment, you are allowed to create a maximum of 30 networks (22 wired and 8 wireless) on a site. There are 2 types of scenarios involved when deploying AP and switch together in a site:

• Deploying an AP and a Switch in Private Network Mode
• Deploying an AP and a Switch in Router Mode

When you begin creating a new site, select the Access point and switch radio button from the Getting started screen and click Continue. Now follow the instructions provided in the AP Configuration Modes section to onboard your devices based on the preferred mode.