FortiWiFi FortiAP 6.2.0 Configuration Guide

FortiWiFi and FortiAP - Configuration Guide
Version 6.2.0
FORTINET DOCUMENT LIBRARY
https://docs.fortinet.com
FORTINET VIDEO GUIDE
https://video.fortinet.com
FORTINET BLOG
https://blog.fortinet.com
CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUPPORT
https://support.fortinet.com
FORTINET TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
https://www.fortinet.com/support-and-training/training.html
NSE INSTITUTE
https://training.fortinet.com
FORTIGUARD CENTER
https://fortiguard.com/
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
https://www.fortinet.com/doc/legal/EULA.pdf
FEEDBACK
Email: techdocs@fortinet.com
July 25, 2019

FortiWiFi and FortiAP 6.2.0 Configuration Guide
01-620-481070-20190725
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Change log 8
What's new in this release 9
Introduction 10
Wireless network equipment 10
FortiAP units 10
FortiGate units 10
FortiWiFi units 11
Wireless management topologies 11
Integrated wireless management 11
Cloud AP management 12
Dedicated wireless controller 12
Related products for wireless networks 12
FortiPlanner 12
FortiManager 13
FortiAnalyzer 13
Wireless network configuration 14
SSIDs on FortiWiFi units 15
Reserved VLAN IDs 15
Wireless network configuration tasks 16
Setting your geographic location 16
Creating a FortiAP profile 17
Defining a wireless network interface (SSID) 20
Configuring DHCP for WiFi clients 23
Configuring security 24
WPA-Personal security 25
WPA-Enterprise security 25
Captive portal security 26
Adding a MAC filter 28
Limiting the number of clients 29
Enabling multicast enhancement 29
Defining SSID groups 30
Configuring dynamic user VLAN assignment 30
VLAN assignment by RADIUS 30
VLAN assignment by VLAN pool 32
Configuring user authentication 34
WPA2 Enterprise authentication 34
WiFi single sign-on (WSSO) authentication 35
Assigning WiFi users to VLANs dynamically 35
MAC-based authentication 36
Authenticating guest WiFi users 36
Configuring firewall policies for the SSID 36
Configuring the built-in access point on a FortiWiFi unit 37
Enforcing UTM policies on a local bridge SSID 38
FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

4
Access point configuration 40

Network topology of managed APs 41
Discovery and authorization of APs 43
Configuring the network interface for the AP unit 44
Pre-authorizing a FortiAP unit 44
Enabling and configuring a discovered AP 45
Disabling the automatic discovery of unknown FortiAPs 46
Enabling the automatic authorization of extension devices 46
Assigning the same FortiAP profile to multiple FortiAP units 46
Overriding the FortiAP profile 46
FortiAP CLI access 47
Accessing the FortiAP CLI through the FortiAP Ethernet port 47
Accessing the FortiAP CLI through the FortiGate 48
FortiAP Configuration mode 48
Resetting FortiAP to enter the Configuration mode 49
Accessing the GUI of the FortiAP Configuration mode 49
Accessing the CLI of the FortiAP Configuration mode 51
FortiAP unit firmware upgrade 52
Checking the FortiAP unit firmware version 52
Upgrading FortiAP firmware from the FortiGate unit 52
Upgrading FortiAP firmware from the FortiAP unit 52
Advanced WiFi controller discovery 53
Controller discovery methods 53
Wireless client load balancing for high-density deployments 55
Access point handoff 56
Frequency handoff or band-steering 56
Handoff configuration 56
FortiAP groups 57
LAN port options 57
Bridging a LAN port with an SSID 58
Bridging a LAN port with the WAN port 58
Configuring FortiAP LAN ports 58
IP fragmentation of packets in CAPWAP tunnels 60
Overriding IP fragmentation settings on a FortiAP 61
CAPWAP bandwidth formula 61
Enabling LLDP protocol 63
LED options 63
Wireless mesh configuration 65
Wireless mesh deployment modes 66
Firmware requirements 66
Types of wireless mesh 66
Fast-roaming for mesh backhaul link 68
Configuring a meshed WiFi network 68
Creating the mesh root SSID 68
Creating the FortiAP profile 68
Configuring the mesh root AP 69
Configuring the mesh leaf FortiAPs 70

5
Authorizing leaf APs 71

Creating security policies 71
Viewing the status of the mesh network 71
Configuring a point-to-point bridge 72
Hotspot 2.0 ANQP configuration 73
WiFi network with wired LAN configuration 77
Combining WiFi network and wired LAN with a software switch 77
VLAN configuration 79
Additional configuration 79
Configuring a FortiAP local bridge (private cloud-managed AP) 79
Continued FortiAP operation when WiFi controller connection is down 82
Using bridged FortiAPs for increased scalability 82
Remote WLAN FortiAPs 84
Configuring the FortiGate for remote FortiAPs 84
Configuring a FortiAP unit 86
Preauthorizing a FortiAP unit 86
Features for high-density deployments 87
Performing the firmware upgrade of multiple FortiAPs 87
Controlling the power save feature 87
11n radio powersave optimization 87
Configuring the broadcast packet suppression 88
Converting multicast streams to unicast 89
Ignoring weak or distant clients 89
Turning off the 802.11b protocol 90
Disabling low data rates 90
Enabling the automatic TX power control 91
Enabling the frequency band load-balancing 91
Setting the handoff RSSI threshold 91
Enabling the AP load balancing 92
Setting the AP load balance threshold 92
Setting the Application Control feature 92
Managing the FortiAP group and setting the dynamic VLAN assignment 93
Sharing tunnel SSIDs within a single managed FortiAP 93
Enabling the manual quarantine of devices on FortiAP (tunnel mode) 93
Enabling host quarantine per SSID 94
Locating a FortiAP with LED blinking 95
Uploading a FortiAP image on the wireless controller 95
Configuring control message off-loading 96
Wireless network protection 97
Wireless Intrusion Detection System 97
Rogue AP detection 98
WIDS client de-authentication rate for DoS attacks 98
WiFi data channel encryption 98
Configuring encryption on a FortiGate unit 99
Configuring encryption on a FortiAP unit 99

6
Protected Management Frames and Opportunistic Key Caching support 99

Bluetooth Low Energy scan 100
Preventing local bridge traffic from reaching the LAN 101
FortiAP-S bridge mode security profiles 101
DHCP snooping and option-82 data insertion 102
Wireless network monitoring 104
Monitoring wireless clients 104
Monitoring rogue APs 105
On-wire rogue AP detection technique 105
Rogue AP scanning as a background activity 106
Configuring rogue scanning 106
Using the Rogue AP Monitor 107
Suppressing rogue APs 108
Monitoring wireless network health 109
Monitoring FortiAP with SNMP 110
Downloading the FortiAP MIB and Fortinet Core MIB files 110
FortiAP SNMP trap messages 110
FortiAP SNMP queries 111
Wireless network examples 112
Basic wireless network example 112
Configuring authentication for wireless users 112
Configuring the SSID 113
Adding the SSID to the FortiAP Profile 114
Configuring security policies 114
Connecting the FortiAP units 115
Complex wireless network example 117
Scenario example 117
Configuration example 117
Configuring authentication for employee wireless users 118
Configuring authentication for guest wireless users 118
Configuring the SSIDs 120
Configuring the FortiAP profile 122
Configuring firewall policies 123
Connecting the FortiAP units 125
FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client 127
FortiWiFi unit in client mode 127
Configuring a FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client 128
Controlled AP selection support in FortiWiFi client mode 128
Support for location-based services 130
Configuring location tracking 130
Automatic deletion of outdated presence data 130
FortiPresence push REST API 131
Viewing device location data on a FortiGate unit 131
Troubleshooting 133
FortiAP shell command 133
Signal strength issues 133

7
Asymmetric power issue 134

Frequency interference 136
Throughput issues 137
Link testing 137
Performance testing 137
IP packet fragmentation prevention in CAPWAP tunnels 138
Slow DTLS response 138
Client connection issues 139
Debugging client connection issues 139
Checking the WiFi password 140
FortiAP connection issues 140
Debugging FortiAP connection issues 141
Best practices for OSI common sources of wireless issues 144
Best practices for Layer 1 144
Best practices for Layer 2 145
Best practices for Layer 3 and above 146
Packet sniffer 147
CAPWAP packet sniffer 147
Wireless traffic packet sniffer 148
Debug commands 150
Sample outputs 151
Extension information support 151
FortiAP CLI configuration and diagnostics commands 153
Configuration commands 153
Diagnostics commands 156
FortiAP REST API 159

Change log
Date Change description
2019-03-29 Initial release. See What's new in this release on page 9.
2019-04-23 Updates include the addition of:

l FortiAP Configuration mode on page 48
l New security modes in Configuring security on page 24
l Monitoring FortiAP with SNMP on page 110
l FortiAP REST API on page 159
2019-07-25 Added Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.

Removed the following commands from FortiAP CLI configuration and diagnostics
commands on page 153:
l cw_diag -c ap-rogue
l cw_diag -c sta-rogue

What's new in this release
FortiOS 6.2.0 wireless includes the following new features:

l Uploading and setting up WiFi location maps
l Monitoring and suppressing phishing SSID
l Enhancing WiFi QoS enhancement with WiFi Multi-Media (WMM) to Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)
marking
l Extending diagnostics and logs when the FortiAP sends detailed events of client connections (such as association,
authentication, DHCP, and DNS) and the FortiGate creates associated logs of these events
l Uploading WiFi certificates using the FortiOS GUI
l Using MAC filtering on SSIDs
l Changing a wireless-controller VAP for an SSID configuration from a global object to a VDOM object
For more information about the FortiOS 6.2.0 wireless features, see the New Features section.
WiFi Cookbook recipes for FortiOS 6.2.0 are available here.
For FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2 6.2.0, this guide includes the following changes:
l New FortiAP Configuration mode on page 48
l New security modes (see Configuring security on page 24):
l WPA3-Enterprise
l WPA3-Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE)
l WPA3-SAE Transition
l Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE)
l OWE Transition
l New Monitoring FortiAP with SNMP on page 110
l Deletion of legacy management protocols. FortiAP no longer supports the Telnet and HTTP protocols. All Fortinet
equipment allow secure management protocols such as SSH and HTTPS. When upgrading for FortiAP
administrative access (inside WTP profiles), then:
l SSH is automatically enabled, if Telnet was enabled before the upgrade.
l HTTPS is automatically enabled, if HTTP was enabled before the upgrade.
l New diagnostic commands (see FortiAP CLI configuration and diagnostics commands on page 153)
l cw_diag -c atf
l cw_diag -c ble-scan
l cw_diag -c fortipresence
l cw_diag -c k-qos wlan00
l cw_diag -c vlan-probe-cmd
l cw_diag -c vlan-probe-rpt
l cw_diag -c snmp
l New FortiAP REST API on page 159

Introduction
This guide describes how to configure a wireless network and access points using FortiGate (or FortiWiFi) units and
FortiAP units.
Wireless network equipment
This section includes an overview of Fortinet wireless network equipment:

l FortiAP units on page 10
l FortiGate units on page 10
l FortiWiFi units on page 11
FortiAP units
FortiAP units are thin wireless access points (AP) supporting the latest Wi-Fi technologies (multi-user MIMO 802.11ac
Wave 1 and Wave 2, 4x4) as well as 802.11n, and the demand for plug and play deployment. FortiAP units come in
various form factors (desktop, indoor, outdoor, or wall jack). Indoor and outdoor units can have internal or external
antennas.
For large deployments, some FortiAP models support a mesh mode of operation in which control and data backhaul
traffic between APs and the controller are carried on a dedicated wireless network. Users can roam seamlessly from one
AP to another.
In dual-radio models, each radio can function as an AP or as a dedicated monitor. The monitoring function is also
available during AP operation, subject to traffic levels.
FortiAP, FortiAP-C, FortiAP-S, FortiAP-W2, and FortiAP-U units are available in a variety of models to address specific
use cases and management modes. For detailed information about the various models currently available, see the
Fortinet website.
For assistance in choosing an AP, visit the AP product selector.
FortiGate units
A FortiGate unit is an industry leading enterprise firewall. In addition to consolidating all the functions of a network
firewall, IPS, anti-malware, VPN, WAN optimization, Web filtering, and application control in a single platform,
FortiGate also has an integrated Wi-Fi controller. With this integrated Wi-Fi controller, a FortiGate unit can configure
and manage access points such as FortiAP, FortiAP-C, FortiAP-S, FortiAP-W2, and FortiAP-U units.
For detailed information about FortiGate models currently available, see the Fortinet website.

Introduction 11
FortiWiFi units
A FortiWiFi unit is a FortiGate with a built-in Wi-Fi. A FortiWiFi unit can:

l Provide an access point for clients with wireless network cards. This default mode is called the Access Point mode.
or
l Connect to another wireless network. This is called Client mode. A FortiWiFi unit operating in client mode can only
have one wireless interface.
or
l Monitor access points within radio range. This is called Monitoring mode. You can designate the detected access
points as Accepted or Rogue for tracking purposes. No access point or client operation is possible in this mode.
However, you can enable monitoring as a background activity while the unit is in Access Point mode.
For detailed information about FortiWiFi models currently available, see the Fortinet website.
Wireless management topologies
This section includes the following three topologies available for the management of access points:
l Integrated wireless management on page 11
l Cloud AP management on page 12
l Dedicated wireless controller on page 12
Integrated wireless management
For the integrated wireless management of access points, you can:

l Use a FortiWiFi unit which is a FortiGate with a built-in Wi-Fi module (also called local Wi-Fi radio) that works as an
access point.
l Connect external access points (FortiAP) to a FortiWiFi.
l Connect external FortiAP units to a FortiGate.
The integrated wireless management topology leverages the Wireless LAN and Switch controller built into the operating
system of the FortiGate (or FortiWiFi) to provide secure Wi-Fi and easily configure and manage your access points.
The integrated wireless management topology is a good choice for a small to medium enterprise deployment. The
FortiWiFi is well suited for small sites of less than 40 users and an area no larger than 3,000 square feet. A deployment
with a FortiGate managing external APs can range from small sites of less than 40 users to large sites with hundreds of
users and with an area greater than 3,000 square feet.
With a FortiGate or FortiWiFi unit, you can configure and manage FortiAP, FortiAP-C, FortiAP-S, FortiAP-W2, and
FortiAP-U units.

Introduction 12
Cloud AP management
FortiAP Cloud offers management capabilities for standalone FortiAPs that scale from individual organizations
managing a handful of APs, to large enterprises managing several thousand APs. FortiAP Cloud allows you to provision,
monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize your FortiAP deployment through a simple, intuitive, and easy-to-use cloud
interface that is accessible from anywhere. With zero-touch deployment options, FortiAP Cloud eliminates the need for
costly on-site technical expertise. A FortiAP Cloud license key ships with each FortiAP, allowing an administrator to
quickly add APs to the service.
With the FortiAP Cloud provisioning and management portal, you can manage and configure FortiAP, FortiAP-C,
FortiAP-S, FortiAP-W2, and FortiAP-U units.
For more details about FortiAP Cloud, see the FortiAP Cloud documentation.
Dedicated wireless controller
Some wireless deployments require high mobility with high performance and the Fortinet Wireless Controller can
provide enterprise-class secure Wi-Fi to large and high-density environments. Dedicated WLAN controllers deliver
seamless mobility, quick deployment, and easy capacity expansion with radio frequency virtualization for large numbers
of access points.
The FortiWLC (wireless LAN controller) and FortiWLM (wireless LAN manager) platforms deliver seamless mobility and
superior reliability with optimized client distribution and channel utilization. Both single- and multi-channel deployment
options are supported, maximizing efficiency to make the most of available wireless spectrum.
The FortiWLC platform can manage FortiAP-U units.
For more details about the FortiWLC dedicated wireless LAN controller platform, see the FortiWLC and FortiWLM
documentation.
Related products for wireless networks
This section discusses wireless network related products offered by Fortinet.
FortiPlanner
FortiPlanner provides a simple and intuitive user interface to help you with wireless LAN planning. FortiPlanner makes
sure of a successful deployment with features such as the ability to import floor plans, select the type of AP and
automatically calculate the required AP number and their placement. The built-in reporting automatically creates a
complete plan along with the number of FortiAP units required and the exact stock keeping unit (SKU) codes for
ordering.
For more information about FortiPlanner, see the Fortinet website and FortiPlanner documentation.

Introduction 13
FortiManager
FortiManager is the full-featured central management solution for Fortinet products. To centrally manage wireless
networks, FortiManager includes the following features:
l Global wireless management and monitoring
l Centralized SSID and radio policy configuration
l Centralized AP firmware upgrades
l Centralized rogue AP suppression
For more details about FortiManager, see the Fortinet website and FortiManager documentation.
FortiAnalyzer
FortiAnalyzer delivers critical insight into threats across the entire attack surface and provides instant visibility, situation
awareness, real-time threat intelligence and actionable analytics, along with Network Operation Center and Security
Operation Center (NOC-SOC) security analysis and operations perspective for the Fortinet Security Fabric.
FortiAnalyzer provides the following features:
l Centralized logs, searches, and reports
l Automated indicators of compromise (IOC)
l Real-time and historical views into network activity
l Advanced compliance reporting
For more details about FortiAnalyzer, see the Fortinet website and FortiAnalyzer documentation.

Wireless network configuration
When working with a FortiGate WiFi controller, you can configure your wireless network before you install any access
points. If you are working with a standalone FortiWiFi unit, the access point hardware is already present but the
configuration is quite similar. Both are covered in this section.
The FortiGate WiFi controller configuration is composed of three types of object: the SSID, the AP Profile and the
physical Access Point.
l An SSID (service set identifier) defines a virtual wireless network interface, including security settings. One SSID is
sufficient for a wireless network, regardless how many physical access points are provided. However, you may want
to create multiple SSIDs to provide different services or privileges to different groups of users. Each SSID has
separate firewall policies and authentication. Each radio in an access point can support up to eight SSIDs.
A more common use of the term SSID is for the identifier that clients must use to connect to the wireless network.
Each SSID (wireless interface) that you configure will have an SSID field for this identifier. In Managed Access
Point configurations, you choose wireless networks by SSID values. In firewall policies, you choose wireless
interfaces by their SSID name.
l An AP Profile defines the radio settings, such as band (802.11n for example) and channel selection. The
AP Profile identifies the SSIDs to which it applies. Managed APs can use automatic profile settings or the settings
of the AP profiles that you create.
l Managed Access Points represent local wireless APs on FortiWiFi units and FortiAP units that the FortiGate unit
has discovered. There is one managed access point definition for each AP device. An access point definition can
use automatic AP profile settings or select a FortiAP Profile. When automatic profile settings are used, the
managed AP definition also selects the SSIDs to be carried on the AP.

Conceptual view of FortiGate WiFi controller configuration
SSIDs on FortiWiFi units
FortiWiFi units have a default SSID (wireless interface) named wlan. You can modify or delete this SSID as needed. As
with external APs, the built-in wireless AP can be configured to carry any SSID.
The AP settings for the built-in wireless access point are located at WiFi & Switch Controller > Local WiFi Radio.
The available operational settings are the same as those for external access points which are configured at WiFi &
Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs.
Reserved VLAN IDs
The following table lists the VLAN IDs reserved for internal use only. Do not use those VLAN IDs in FAP management
VLAN, SSID static VLAN, and dynamically assigned VLAN.
FortiAP model VLAN ID reserved for internal use
FAP-C24JE 898 and 899
FAP-S221E, FAP-S223E, FAP-221E, FAP-222E, FAP-223E, and FAP-224E 97 and 98

Wireless network configuration tasks
To configure a wireless network, perform the following tasks:

1. Setting your geographic location on page 16
2. Creating a FortiAP profile on page 17
3. Defining a wireless network interface (SSID) on page 20
4. Configuring security on page 24
5. Defining SSID groups on page 30
6. Configuring dynamic user VLAN assignment on page 30
7. Configuring user authentication on page 34
8. Configuring firewall policies for the SSID on page 36
9. Configuring the built-in access point on a FortiWiFi unit on page 37
10. Enforcing UTM policies on a local bridge SSID on page 38
11. For AP configuration details, see Access point configuration on page 40.
On FortiGate model 30D, GUI configuration of the WiFi controller is disabled by default. To
enable it, enter the following CLI commands:
config system global
set gui-wireless-controller enable
end
The WiFi and Switch Controllers are enabled through the Feature Store (under System >
Feature Visibility). However, they are separately enabled and configured to display in the
GUI via the CLI.
To enable both WiFi and Switch Controllers, enter the following CLI commands:
set wireless-controller enable
set switch-controller enable
end
To enable the GUI display for both controllers, enter the following CLI commands::
config system settings
set gui-wireless-controller enable
set gui-switch-controller enable
end
Setting your geographic location
The maximum allowed transmitter power and permitted radio channels for WiFi networks depend on the region in which
the network is located. By default, the WiFi controller is configured for the United States. If you are located in any other

region, set your geographic location before you begin the wireless network configuration.
To change the location setting - CLI
To change the country to France, for example, enter

config wireless-controller setting
set country FR
end
To see the list of country codes, enter a question mark (‘?’) instead of a country code.
Before changing the country setting, you must remove all FortiAP Profiles. To do this, go to
WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles.
To view all country and region codes, and regulatory domains - CLI
The following CLI command can be entered to view a list of the country and region codes, and regulatory domains
supported by Fortinet:
cw_diag -c all-countries
Below is a table showing a sample of the list displayed by entering this command:
Country- Region- Domain ISO- Name

code code name
0 A FCC3 & FCCA NA NO_COUNTRY_SET
8 W NULL1 & WORLD AL ALBANIA
12 W NULL1 & WORLD DZ ALGERIA
16 A FCC3 & FCCA AS AMERICAN SAMOA
... ... ... ... ...
Creating a FortiAP profile
A FortiAP profile defines radio settings for a particular platform (FortiAP model). The profile also selects which SSIDs
(virtual APs) the APs will carry. FortiAP units contain two radio transceivers, making it possible, for example, to provide
both 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n and 5 GHz 802.11a/n service from the same access point. The radios can also be used for
monitoring, used for the Rogue AP detection feature.
You can modify existing FortiAP profiles or create new ones of your own.

On FortiGate model 30D, GUI configuration of FortiAP Profiles is disabled by default. To

enable AP profiles, enter the following CLI commands:

set gui-ap-profile enable
end
To configure a FortiAP profile - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and select Create New.

2. Enter a Name for the FortiAP Profile.
3. In Platform, select the FortiWiFi or FortiAP model to which this profile applies.
4. If split tunneling is used, in Split Tunneling Subnets, enter a comma-separated list all of the destination IP
address ranges that should not be routed through the FortiGate WiFi controller.
5. For each radio, enter:
Mode Select the type of mode.
Disabled – the radio is disabled.

Access Point – the platform is an access point.
Dedicated Monitor – the platform is a dedicated monitor. See Wireless
network monitoring on page 104.
WIDS Profile Optionally, select a Wireless Intrusion Detection (WIDS) profile. See Wireless
network protection on page 97.
Radio Resource Select to enable the distributed radio resource provisioning (DARRP) feature.
Provision This feature measures utilization and interference on the available channels
and selects the clearest channel at each access point. The measurement can
be repeated periodically to respond to changing conditions.
Client Load Select Frequency Handoff or AP Handoff as needed. See Access point

Balancing configuration on page 40.
Band Select the wireless protocols that you want to support. The available choices
depend on the radio’s capabilities. Where multiple protocols are supported,
the letter suffixes are combined: “802.11g/b” means 802.11g and 802.11b.
Note that on two-radio units such as the FortiAP-221C it is not possible to put
both radios on the same band.
Channel Width Select channel width for 802.11ac or 802.11n on 5 GHz.
Short Guard Select to enable the short guard interval for 802.11ac or 802.11n on 5 GHz.
Interval
Channels Select the channel or channels to include. The available channels depend on
which IEEE wireless protocol you selected in Band. By default, all available
channels are enabled.

TX Power Enable automatic or manual adjustment of transmit power, specifying either

Control minimum and maximum power levels in dBm or as a percentage.
TX Power When TX Power Control is set to Auto, the TX Power is set by default to a
range of 10-17 dBm. Set the range between 1 and 20 for both the lower and
upper limits.
When TX Power Control is set to Manual, the TX Power is set by default to
100% of the maximum power permitted in your region. To change the level,
drag the slider.
SSIDs Select Auto or Manual. Selecting Auto eliminates the need to re-edit the
profile when new SSIDs are created. However, you can still select SSIDs
individually using Manual.
Note that automatic assignment of SSIDs (Auto) is not available for FortiAPs
in Local Bridge mode. The option is hidden on both the Managed FortiAP
settings and the FortiAP Profile assigned to that AP.
Radio 1 settings are the same as Radio 2 settings except for the options for Channel.
Radio 2 settings are available only for FortiAP models with dual radios.
6. Select OK.
To configure a FortiAP profile - CLI
This example configures a FortiAP-220B to carry all SSIDs on Radio 1 but only SSID example_wlan on Radio 2.
config wireless-controller wtp-profile
edit guest_prof
config platform
set type 220B
end
config radio-1
set mode ap
set band 802.11g
set vap-all enable
end
config radio-2
set mode ap
set band 802.11g
set vaps example_wlan
end
end
To enable DARRP - CLI
To prevent interference between APs, the FortiOS WiFi Controller includes the Distributed Automatic Radio Resource
Provisioning (DARRP) feature. Through DARRP, each FortiAP unit autonomously and periodically determines the
channel that is best suited for wireless communications. FortiAP units to select their channel so that they do not
interfere with each other in large-scale deployments where multiple access points have overlapping radio ranges.
In this example, DARRP is enabled for both radios in the FAP321C-default profile:
edit FAP321C-default
config radio-1

set darrp enable

end
config radio-2
set darrp enable
end
end
To set DARRP timing - CLI
By default, DARRP optimization occurs at a fixed interval of 1800 seconds (30 minutes). You can change this interval in
the CLI. For example, to change the interval to 3600 seconds enter:
config wireless-controller timers
set darrp-optimize 3600
end
Optionally, you can schedule optimization for fixed times. This enables you to confine DARRP activity to a low-traffic
period. Setting darrp-optimize to 0, makes darrp-day and darrp-time available. For example, here's how to
set DARRP optimization for 3:00 am every day:
set darrp-optimize 0
set darrp-day sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday
set darrp-time 03:00
end
Both darrp-day and darrp-time can accept multiple entries.
Defining a wireless network interface (SSID)
You begin configuring your wireless network by defining one or more SSIDs to which your users can connect. When you
create an SSID, a virtual network interface is also created with the Name you specified in the SSID configuration.
If a software switch interface contains an SSID (but only one), the WiFi SSID settings are
available in the switch interface settings.
To create a new SSID
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and select Create New > SSID.
2. Fill in the SSID fields as described below.
To edit the settings of an existing SSID
1. Either
l Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID .
or

l Go to Network > Interfaces.
WiFi interfaces list the SSID beside the interface Name.
2. Edit the SSID fields, as needed.
SSID fields
Interface Name Enter a name for the SSID interface.
Type WiFi SSID.
Traffic Mode Tunnel — Tunnel to Wireless Controller — Data for WLAN passes through WiFi Controller.
This is the default.
Bridge — Local bridge with FortiAP Interface — FortiAP unit Ethernet and WiFi interfaces
are bridged.
Mesh — Mesh Downlink — Radio receives data for WLAN from mesh backhaul SSID.
IP/Network Mask Enter the IP address and netmask for the SSID.
IPv6 Address Enter the IPv6 address. This is available only when IPv6 has been enabled on the unit.
Administrative Select which types of administrative access are permitted on this SSID.
Access
IPv6 Administrative If you have IPv6 addresses, select the permitted IPv6 administrative access types for this
Access SSID.
DHCP Server To assign IP addresses to clients, enable DHCP server. You can define IP address ranges for
a DHCP server on the FortiGate unit or relay DHCP requests to an external server.
If the unit is in transparent mode, the DHCP server settings will be unavailable.
For more information, see Configuring DHCP for WiFi clients on page 23.
Device Detection Detect connected device type. Enabled by default.
Active Scanning Enabled by default.
WiFi Settings
SSID Enter the SSID. By default, this field contains fortinet.
Security Mode Select the security mode for the wireless interface. Wireless users must use the same
security mode to be able to connect to this wireless interface. Additional security mode
options are available in the CLI. For more information, see Configuring security on page 24.
Captive Portal – authenticates users through a customizable web page.

WPA2-Personal – WPA2 is WiFi Protected Access version 2. There is one pre-shared key
(password) that all users use.
WPA2-Personal with Captive Portal – The user will need to know the pre-shared key and
will also be authenticated through the custom portal.

WPA2-Enterprise – similar to WPA2-Personal, but is best used for enterprise networks.

Each user is separately authenticated by user name and password.
Other choices are: WPA3-Enterprise, WPA3-SAE, WPA3-SAE-Transition, OWE, and

OSEN.
Pre-shared Key Available only when Security Mode is WPA2-Personal. Enter the encryption key that the
clients must use.
Authentication Available only when Security Mode is WPA2-Enterprise.
Select one of the following:
RADIUS Server — Select the RADIUS server that will authenticate the clients.
Local – Select the user group(s) that can authenticate.
Portal Type Available only when Security Mode is Captive Portal. Choose the captive portal type.
Authentication is available with or without a usage policy disclaimer notice.
Authentication Local - portal hosted on the FortiGate unit

Portal External - enter FQDN or IP address of external portal
User Groups Select permitted user groups for captive portal authentication.
Exempt List Select exempt lists whose members will not be subject to captive portal authentication.
Customize Portal Click the listed portal pages to edit them.

Messages
Redirect after Optionally, select Specific URL and enter a URL for user redirection after captive portal
Captive Portal authentication. By default, users are redirected to the URL that they originally requested.
Allow New WiFi This option is available for local bridge SSIDs with WPA-Personal security. See WiFi network
Client Connections with wired LAN configuration on page 77.
When Controller Is
Down
Broadcast SSID Optionally, disable broadcast of SSID. By default, the SSID is broadcast.
Schedule Select when the SSID is enabled. You can choose any schedule defined in Policy & Objects
> Objects > Schedules.
Block Intra-SSID Select to enable the unit to block intra-SSID traffic.
Traffic
Maximum Clients Select to limit the number of clients permitted to connect simultaneously. Enter the limit
value.
Split Tunneling Select to enable some subnets to remain local to the remote FortiAP. Traffic for these
networks is not routed through the WiFi Controller. Specify split-tunnel networks in the
FortiAP Profile. See Remote WLAN FortiAPs on page 84.
Optional VLAN ID Enter the ID of the VLAN this SSID belongs to. Enter 0 for non-VLAN operation. See
Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.

Enable Explicit Select to enable explicit web proxy for the SSID.
Web Proxy
Listen for RADIUS Enable if you are using RADIUS-based single sign-on (SSO).
Accounting
Messages
Secondary IP Optionally, enable and define secondary IP addresses. Administrative access can be enabled
Address on secondary interfaces.
Comments Enter a description or comment for the SSID.
To configure a virtual access point (SSID) - CLI
The example below creates an access point with SSID “example” and WPA2-Personal security. The wireless interface is
named example_wlan.
WiFi SSIDs include a schedule that determines when the WiFi network is available. The default schedule is Always. You
can choose any schedule (but not schedule group) that is defined in Policy & Objects > Objects > Schedules.
config wireless-controller vap
edit example_wlan
set ssid "example"
set broadcast-ssid enable
set security wpa2-only-personal
set passphrase "hardtoguess”
set schedule always
set vdom root
end
config system interface
edit example_wlan
set ip 10.10.120.1 255.255.255.0
end
Configuring DHCP for WiFi clients
Wireless clients need to have IP addresses. If you use RADIUS authentication, each user’s IP address can be stored in
the Framed-IP-Address attribute. Otherwise, you need to configure a DHCP server on the WLAN interface to assign IP
addresses to wireless clients.
To configure a DHCP server for WiFi clients - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and edit your SSID entry.
2. In DHCP Server select Enable.
3. In Address Range, select Create New.
4. In the Starting IP and End IP fields, enter the IP address range to assign.
By default an address range is created in the same subnet as the wireless interface IP address, but not including
that address.
5. Set the Netmask to an appropriate value, such as 255.255.255.0.
6. Set the Default Gateway to Same as Interface IP.
7. Set the DNS Server to Same as System DNS.

8. If you want to restrict access to the wireless network by MAC address, see Defining a wireless network interface
(SSID) on page 20.
9. Select OK.
To configure a DHCP server for WiFi clients - CLI
In this example, WiFi clients on the example_wlan interface are assigned addresses in the 10.10.120.2-9 range to
connect with the WiFi access point on 10.10.120.1.
config system dhcp server
edit 0
set default-gateway 10.10.120.1
set dns-service default
set interface example_wlan
set netmask 255.255.255.0
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 10.10.120.9
set start-ip 10.10.120.2
end
end
You cannot delete an SSID (wireless interface) that has DHCP enabled on it.
Configuring security
An SSID supports the following security modes:

l Open
l Captive portal
l Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 (WPA2), WPA2-Personal and WPA2-Enterprise
l WPA3-Enterprise
l WPA3-Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE)
l WPA3-SAE Transition
l Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE)
l OWE Transition
l OSU Server-Only Authenticated L2 Encryption Network (OSEN)
WPA2 security with a pre-shared key for authentication is called WPA2-Personal. This can work well for one person or a
small group of trusted people. But, as the number of users increases, it is difficult to distribute new keys securely and
there is increased risk that the key could fall into the wrong hands.
A more secure form of WPA2 security is WPA2-Enterprise. Users each have their own authentication credentials,
verified through an authentication server, usually RADIUS. FortiOS can also authenticate WPA2-Enterprise users
through its built-in user group functionality. FortiGate user groups can include RADIUS servers and can select users by
RADIUS user group. This makes possible Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).

By default, WPA2 security encrypts communication using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). But some older wireless
clients support only Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). You can change the encryption to TKIP or negotiable TKIP-
AES in the CLI. For example, to accommodate clients with either TKIP or AES, enter:
edit example_wlan
set security wpa-personal
set passphrase "hardtoguess"
set encrypt TKIP-AES
end
Captive portal security connects users to an open web portal defined in replacement messages. To navigate to any
location beyond the web portal, the user must pass FortiGate user authentication.
WPA-Personal security
WPA2-Personal security setup requires only the preshared key that you will provide to your clients.
To configure WPA2-Personal security - GUI
2. In Security Mode, select WPA2 Personal.
3. In Pre-shared Key, enter a key between 8 and 63 characters long.
4. Select OK.
To configure WPA2-Personal security - CLI

edit example_wlan
set security wpa2-personal
set passphrase "hardtoguess"
end
WPA-Enterprise security
If you will use FortiOS user groups for authentication, go to User & Device > User > User Groups and create those
groups first. The groups should be Firewall groups.
If you will use a RADIUS server to authenticate wireless clients, you must first configure the FortiGate unit to access the
RADIUS server.
To configure FortiGate unit access to the RADIUS server - GUI
1. Go to User & Device > RADIUS Servers and select Create New.

2. Enter a Name for the server.
3. a. In Primary Server area:
i. IP/Name — enter the network name or IP address for the server.
ii. Secret — enter the shared secret used to access the server.
4. Optionally, enter the information for a secondary or backup RADIUS server.
5. Select OK.

To configure the FortiGate unit to access the RADIUS server - CLI
config user radius

edit exampleRADIUS
set auth-type auto
set server 10.11.102.100
set secret aoewmntiasf
end
RADIUS Change of Authorization (CoA) support
The CoA feature enables the FortiGate to receive a client disconnect message from the RADIUS server. This is used to
disconnect clients when their time, credit or bandwidth had been used up. Enable this on the RADIUS server using the
CLI:
config user radius
edit <name>
set radius-coa enable
end
To configure WPA-Enterprise security - GUI
2. In Security Mode, select WPA2 Enterprise.
3. In Authentication, do one of the following:
l If you will use a RADIUS server for authentication, select RADIUS Server and then select the RADIUS server.
l If you will use a local user group for authentication, select Local and then select the user group(s) permitted to
use the wireless network.
4. Select OK.
To configure WPA-Enterprise security - CLI

edit example_wlan
set security wpa2-enterprise
set auth radius
set radius-server exampleRADIUS
end
Captive portal security
Captive portal security provides an access point that initially appears open. The wireless client can connect to the AP
with no security credentials. The AP responds to the client’s first HTTP request with a web page requesting user name
and password. Until the user enters valid credentials, no communication beyond the AP is permitted.
The captive portal can be hosted on the FortiGate unit, or externally. For details see
Configuring WiFi captive portal security - FortiGate captive portal on page 27
Configuring WiFi captive portal security - external server on page 27
For general information about captive portals, see the Captive Portal chapter of the Authentication Guide.

Configuring WiFi captive portal security - FortiGate captive portal
The built-in FortiGate captive portal is simpler than an external portal. It can even be customized if needed.
To configure a WiFi Captive Portal - GUI:
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and create your SSID.

If the SSID already exists, you can edit the SSID or you can edit the WiFi interface in Network > Interfaces.
2. In Security Mode, select Captive Portal.
3. Enter
Portal Type The portal can provide authentication and/or disclaimer, or perform user email
address collection.
Authentication Portal Local
User Groups Select permitted user groups or select Use Groups from Policies, which
permits the groups specified in the security policy.
Exempt List Select exempt lists whose members will not be subject to captive portal
authentication.
Customize Portal Messages Click the link of the portal page that you want to modify. For more information
see the Captive Portal chapter of the Authentication Guide.
4. Select OK.
Configuring WiFi captive portal security - external server
An external captive portal is a web page on a web server. The essential part of the web portal page is a script that
gathers the user’s logon credentials and sends back to the FortiGate a specifically-formatted POST message. The
portal page can also contain links to local information such as legal notices, terms of service and so on. Without
authenticating, the user cannot access any other information. This is sometimes called a “walled garden”.
On the captive portal page, the user submits credentials, which the script returns to the FortiGate at the URL
https://<FGT_IP>:1000/fgtauth with data
magic=session_id&username=<username>&password=<password>.
(The magic value was provided in the initial FortiGate request to the web server.)
To ensure that credentials are communicated securely, enable the use of HTTPS for authentication:
config user setting
set auth-secure-http enable
end
To configure use of an external WiFi Captive Portal - GUI:
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and create your SSID.

If the SSID already exists, you can edit the SSID or you can edit the WiFi interface in Network > Interfaces.
2. In Security Mode, select Captive Portal.

3. Enter
Portal Type The portal can provide authentication and/or disclaimer, or perform user email
address collection.
Authentication Portal External - enter the FQDN or IP address of the external portal. Typically, this
is the URL of a script. Do not include the protocol (http:// or https://) part of
the URL.
User Groups Select permitted user groups or select Use Groups from Policies, which
permits the groups specified in the security policy.
Exempt List Select exempt lists whose members will not be subject to captive portal
authentication.
Redirect after Captive Portal Original Request
Specific URL - enter URL
4. Select OK.
Adding a MAC filter
On each SSID, you can create a MAC address filter list to either permit or exclude a list of clients identified by their MAC
addresses.
This is actually not as secure as it appears. Someone seeking unauthorized access to your network can obtain MAC
addresses from wireless traffic and use them to impersonate legitimate users. A MAC filter list should only be used in
conjunction with other security measures such as encryption.
To configure a MAC filter - GUI
2. In the DHCP Server section, expand Advanced.
3. In MAC Reservation + Access Control, double-click in the Unknown MAC Addresses line and select
Assign IP or Block, as needed.
By default, unlisted MAC addresses are assigned an IP address automatically.
4. In MAC Reservation + Access Control, select Create New.
5. Enter a MAC address In the MAC field.
6. In IP or Action, select one of:
l Reserve IP — enter the IP address that is always assigned to this MAC address.
l Assign IP — an IP address is assigned to this MAC address automatically.
lBlock — This MAC address will not be assigned an IP address.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each additional MAC address that you want to add.
8. Select OK.
To configure a MAC filter - CLI
1. Enter

show
2. Find the entry where interface is your WiFi interface. Edit that entry and configure the MAC filter. In this
example, the MAC address 11:11:11:11:11:11 will be excluded. Unlisted MAC addresses will be assigned an IP
address automatically.
edit 3
config reserved-address
edit 1
set action block
set mac 11:11:11:11:11:11
end
set mac-acl-default-action assign
end
Limiting the number of clients
You might want to prevent overloading of your access point by limiting the number of clients who can associate with it at
the same time. Limits can be applied per SSID, per AP, or per radio.
To limit the number of clients per SSID - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and edit your SSID.

2. Turn on Maximum Clients and enter the maximum number of clients in Limit Concurrent WiFi Clients.
To limit the number of clients per AP- CLI
Edit the wtp-profile (FortiAP profile), like this:

edit "FAP221C-default"
set max-clients 30
end
To limit the number of clients per radio - CLI
Edit the wtp-profile (FortiAP profile), like this:

edit "FAP221C-default"
config radio-1
set max-clients 10
end
config radio-2
set max-clients 30
end
end
Enabling multicast enhancement
FortiOS can translate multicast traffic into unicast traffic to send to clients, maintaining its own multicast client through
IGMP snooping. You can configure this in the CLI:
edit example_wlan

set multicast-enhance enable

set me-disable-thresh 32
end
If the number of clients on the SSID is larger than me-disable-thresh, multicast enhancement is disabled.
Defining SSID groups
Optionally, you can define SSID groups. An SSID group has SSIDs as members and can be specified just like an SSID in
a FortiAP Profile.
To create an SSID group - GUI
Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and select Create New > SSID Group. Give the group a Name and
choose Members (SSIDs, but not SSID groups).
To create an SSID group - CLI:
config wireless-controller vap-group

edit vap-group-name
set vaps "ssid1" "ssid2"
end
Configuring dynamic user VLAN assignment
Clients connecting to the WiFi network can be assigned to a VLAN. You can do this with RADIUS attributes when the
user authenticates or with VLAN pooling when the client associates with a particular FortiAP. You cannot use both of
these methods at the same time.
VLAN assignment by RADIUS
You can assign each individual user to a VLAN based on information stored in the RADIUS authentication server. If the
user’s RADIUS record does not specify a VLAN ID, the user is assigned to the default VLAN for the SSID.
The RADIUS user attributes used for the VLAN ID assignment are:
IETF 64 (Tunnel Type)—Set this to VLAN.
IETF 65 (Tunnel Medium Type)—Set this to 802
IETF 81 (Tunnel Private Group ID)—Set this to the VLAN ID. See Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.
To configure dynamic VLAN assignment, you need to:
1. Configure access to the RADIUS server.
2. Create the SSID and enable dynamic VLAN assignment.

3. Create a FortiAP Profile and add the local bridge mode SSID to it.
4. Create the VLAN interfaces and their DHCP servers.
5. Create security policies to allow communication from the VLAN interfaces to the Internet.
6. Authorize the FortiAP unit and assign the FortiAP Profile to it.
To configure access to the RADIUS server

2. Enter a Name, the name or IP address in Primary Server IP/Name, and the server secret in Primary Server
Secret.
3. Select OK.
To create the dynamic VLAN SSID
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID, select Create New > SSID and enter:
Name An identifier, such as dynamic_vlan_ssid.
Traffic Mode Local bridge or Tunnel, as needed.
SSID An identifier, such as DYNSSID.
Security Mode WPA2 Enterprise
Authentication RADIUS Server. Select the RADIUS server that you configured.
2. Select OK.
3. Enable dynamic VLAN in the CLI. Optionally, you can also assign a VLAN ID to set the default VLAN for users
without a VLAN assignment. See Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.
edit dynamic_vlan_ssid
set dynamic-vlan enable
set vlanid 10
end
To create the FortiAP profile for the dynamic VLAN SSID
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles, select Create New and enter:
Name A name for the profile, such as dyn_vlan_profile.
Platform The FortiAP model you are using. If you use more than one model of FortiAP,
you will need a FortiAP Profile for each model.
Radio 1 and Radio 2
SSID Select the SSID you created (example dynamic_vlan_ssid). Do not add other
SSIDs.
2. Adjust other radio settings as needed.

3. Select OK.

To create the VLAN interfaces
1. Go to Network > Interfaces and select Create New > Interface.

2. Enter:
Name A name for the VLAN interface, such as VLAN100.
Interface The physical interface associated with the VLAN interface.
VLAN ID The numeric VLAN ID, for example 100.
Addressing mode Select Manual and enter the IP address / Network Mask for the virtual
interface.
DHCP Server Enable and then select Create New to create an address range.
3. Select OK.
4. Repeat the preceding steps to create other VLANs as needed.
Security policies determine which VLANs can communicate with which other interfaces. These are the simple Firewall
Address policy without authentication. Users are assigned to the appropriate VLAN when they authenticate.
To connect and authorize the FortiAP unit
1. Connect the FortiAP unit to the FortiGate unit.

2. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs.
3. When the FortiAP unit is listed, double-click the entry to edit it.
4. In FortiAP Profile, select the FortiAP Profile that you created.
5. Select Authorize.
6. Select OK.
VLAN assignment by VLAN pool
In an SSID, you can define a VLAN pool. As clients associate to an AP, they are assigned to a VLAN. A VLAN pool can
l assign a specific VLAN based on the AP's FortiAP group, usually for network configuration reasons, or
l assign one of several available VLANs for network load balancing purposes (tunnel mode SSIDs only)
See Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.
To assign a VLAN by FortiAP group - CLI
In this example, VLAN 101, 102, or 103 is assigned depending on the AP's FortiAP group.
edit wlan
set vlan-pooling wtp-group
config vlan-pool
edit 101
set wtp-group wtpgrp1
next
edit 102
next

edit 101
end
end
end
Load balancing
There are two VLAN pooling methods used for load balancing:
The choice of VLAN can be based on any one of the following criteria:
l round-robin - from the VLAN pool, choose the VLAN with the smallest number of clients
l hash - choose a VLAN from the VLAN pool based on a hash of the current number of SSID clients and the number
of entries in the VLAN pool
If the VLAN pool contains no valid VLAN ID, the SSID's static VLAN ID setting is used.
To assign a VLAN by round-robin selection - CLI
In this example, VLAN 101, 102, or 103 is assigned using the round-robin method:
edit wlan
set vlan-pooling round-robin
config vlan-pool
edit 101
next
edit 102
next
edit 103
end
end
end
To assign a VLAN by hash-based selection - CLI
In this example, VLAN 101, 102, or 103 is assigned using the hash method:
edit wlan
set vlan-pooling hash
config vlan-pool
edit 101
next
edit 102
next
edit 103
end
end
end

Configuring user authentication
You can perform user authentication when the wireless client joins the wireless network and when the wireless user
communicates with another network through a firewall policy. WEP and WPA-Personal security rely on legitimate users
knowing the correct key or passphrase for the wireless network. The more users you have, the more likely it is that the
key or passphrase will become known to unauthorized people. WPA-Enterprise and captive portal security provide
separate credentials for each user. User accounts can be managed through FortiGate user groups or an external
RADIUS authentication server.
WPA2 Enterprise authentication
Enterprise authentication can be based on the local FortiGate user database or on a remote RADIUS server. Local
authentication is essentially the same for WiFi users as it is for wired users, except that authentication for WiFi users
occurs when they associate their device with the AP. Therefore, enterprise authentication must be configured in the
SSID. WiFi users can belong to user groups just the same as wired users and security policies will determine which
network services they can access.
If your WiFi network uses WPA2 Enterprise authentication verified by a RADIUS server, you need to configure the
FortiGate unit to connect to that RADIUS server.
Configuring connection to a RADIUS server - GUI

2. Enter a Name for the server.
This name is used in FortiGate configurations. It is not the actual name of the server.
3. In Primary Server area:
a. IP/Name — enter the network name or IP address for the server.
b. Secret — enter the shared secret used to access the server.
4. Optionally, enter the information for a secondary or backup RADIUS server.
5. Select OK.
To configure the FortiGate unit to access the RADIUS server - CLI
config user radius

edit exampleRADIUS
set auth-type auto
set server 10.11.102.100
set secret aoewmntiasf
end
To implement WPA2 Enterprise security, you select this server in the SSID security settings. See Defining a wireless
network interface (SSID) on page 20.
To use the RADIUS server for authentication, you can create individual FortiGate user accounts that specify the
authentication server instead of a password, and you then add those accounts to a user group. Or, you can add the
authentication server to a FortiGate user group, making all accounts on that server members of the user group.

Creating a wireless user group
Most wireless networks require authenticated access. To enable creation of firewall policies specific to WiFi users, you
should create at least one WiFi user group. You can add or remove users later. There are two types of user group to
consider:
l A Firewall user group can contain user accounts stored on the FortiGate unit or external authentication servers such
as RADIUS that contain and verify user credentials.
l A Fortinet single sign-on (FSSO) user group is used for integration with Windows Active Directory or Novell
eDirectory. The group can contain Windows or Novell user groups who will be permitted access to the wireless LAN.
WiFi single sign-on (WSSO) authentication
WSSO is RADIUS-based authentication that passes the user's user group memberships to the FortiGate. For each user,
the RADIUS server must provide user group information in the Fortinet-Group-Name attribute. This information is
stored in the server's database. After the user authenticates, security policies provide access to network services based
on user groups.
1. Configure the RADIUS server to return the Fortinet-Group-Name attribute for each user.
2. Configure the FortiGate to access the RADIUS server, as described in WPA2 Enterprise authentication on page 34.
3. Create firewall user groups on the FortiGate with the same names as the user groups listed in the RADIUS
database. Leave the groups empty.
4. In the SSID choose WPA2-Enterprise authentication. In the Authentication field, select RADIUS Server and
choose the RADIUS server that you configured.
5. Create security policies as needed, using user groups (Source User(s) field) to control access.
When a user authenticates by WSSO, the firewall monitor Monitor > Firewall User Monitor) shows the
authentication method as WSSO.
Assigning WiFi users to VLANs dynamically
Some enterprise networks use Virtual LANs (VLANs) to separate traffic. In this environment, to extend network access
to WiFi users might appear to require multiple SSIDs. But it is possible to automatically assign each user to their
appropriate VLAN from a single SSID. To accomplish this requires RADIUS authentication that passes the appropriate
VLAN ID to the FortiGate by RADIUS attributes. Each user’s VLAN assignment is stored in the user database of the
RADIUS server.
1. Configure the RADIUS server to return the following attributes for each user:
Tunnel-Type (value: VLAN)
Tunnel-Medium-Type (value: IEEE-802)
Tunnel_Private-Group-Id (value: the VLAN ID for the user's VLAN)
2. Configure the FortiGate to access the RADIUS server.
3. Configure the SSID with WPA2-Enterprise authentication. In the Authentication field, select RADIUS Server
and choose the RADIUS server that you will use.
4. Create VLAN subinterfaces on the SSID interface, one for each VLAN. Set the VLAN ID of each as appropriate. You
can do this on the Network > Interfaces page.
5. Enable Dynamic VLAN assignment for the SSID. For example, if the SSID interface is "office", enter:
edit office

set dynamic-vlan enable

end
6. Create security policies for each VLAN. These policies have a WiFi VLAN subinterface as Incoming Interface and
allow traffic to flow to whichever Outgoing Interface these VLAN users will be allowed to access.
MAC-based authentication
Wireless clients can also be authenticated by MAC address. A RADIUS server stores the allowed MAC address for each
client and the wireless controller checks the MAC address independently of other authentication methods.
MAC-based authentication must be configured in the CLI. In the following example, MAC-based authentication is
added to an existing access point “vap1” to use RADIUS server hq_radius (configured on the FortiGate):
edit vap1
set radius-mac-auth enable
set radius-mac-auth-server hq_radius
end
Authenticating guest WiFi users
The FortiOS Guest Management feature enables you to easily add guest accounts to your FortiGate unit. These
accounts are authenticate guest WiFi users for temporary access to a WiFi network managed by a FortiGate unit.
To implement guest access, you need to
1. Go to User & Device > User Groups and create one or more guest user groups.
2. Go to User & Device > Guest Management to create guest accounts. You can print the guest account
credentials or send them to the user as an email or SMS message.
3. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and configure your WiFi SSID to use captive portal authentication.
Select the guest user group(s) that you created.
Guest users can log into the WiFi captive portal with their guest account credentials until the account expires.
Configuring firewall policies for the SSID
For users on the WiFi LAN to communicate with other networks, firewall policies are required. This section describes
creating a WiFi network to Internet policy.
Before you create firewall policies, you need to define any firewall addresses you will need.
To create a firewall address for WiFi users - GUI
1. Go to Policy & Objects > Addresses.

2. Select Create New, enter the following information and select OK.
Name Enter a name for the address. For example, wifi_net.
Type Select Subnet.

Subnet / IP Range Enter the subnet address. For example, 10.10.110.0/24.
Interface Select the interface where this address is used. For example, example_wifi.
To create a firewall address for WiFi users - CLI
config firewall address

edit "wifi_net"
set associated-interface "example_wifi"
set subnet 10.10.110.0 255.255.255.0
end
To create a firewall policy - GUI
1. Go to Policy & Objects > IPv4 Policy and select Create New.

2. In Incoming Interface, select the wireless interface.
3. In Source Address, select the address of your WiFi network, wifi_net for example.
4. In Outgoing Interface, select the Internet interface, for example, port1.
5. In Destination Address, select All.
6. In Service, select ALL, or select the particular services that you want to allow, and then select the right arrow
button to move the service to the Selected Services list.
7. In Schedule, select always, unless you want to define a schedule for limited hours.
8. In Action, select ACCEPT.
9. Select Enable NAT.
10. Optionally, set up UTM features for wireless users.
11. Select OK.
To create a firewall policy - CLI
config firewall policy

edit 0
set srcintf "example_wifi"
set dstintf "port1"
set srcaddr "wifi_net"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set schedule "always"
set service "ALL"
set nat enable
end
Configuring the built-in access point on a FortiWiFi unit
Both FortiGate and FortiWiFi units have the WiFi controller feature. If you configure a WiFi network on a FortiWiFi unit,
you can also use the built-in wireless capabilities in your WiFi network as one of the access points.
If Virtual Domains are enabled, you must select the VDOM to which the built-in access point belongs. You do this in the
CLI. For example:

config wireless-controller global

set local-radio-vdom vdom1
end
To configure the FortiWiFi unit’s built-in WiFi access point
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Local WiFi Radio.

2. Make sure that Enable WiFi Radio is selected.
3. In SSID, if you do not want this AP to carry all SSIDs, select Select SSIDs and then select the required SSIDs.
4. Optionally, adjust the TX Power slider.
If you have selected your location correctly (see Setting your geographic location on page 16), the 100% setting
corresponds to the maximum power allowed in your region.
5. If you do not want the built-in WiFi radio to be used for rogue scanning, select Do not participate in Rogue AP
scanning.
6. Select OK.
If you want to connect external APs such as FortiAP units, see Access point configuration on page 40.
Enforcing UTM policies on a local bridge SSID
If a bridge mode SSID is configured for a managed FortiAP-S (or smart FortiAP), you can add a security profile group to
the wireless controller configuration that allows you to apply the following security profile features to the traffic over the
bridge SSID:
l AntiVirus (including botnet protection)
l Intrusion Prevention
l Application Control
l Web Filter
Configure Security Profile Groups - GUI syntax
1. For this configuration to work, you must go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and enable the Security
profile group option on the bridge mode SSID assigned to the FortiAP Profile for your smart FortiAP.
2. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Security Profile Groups. Select Create New or edit the wifi-default
profile.
3. Enable or disable Logging.
4. Enable or disable Scan Botnets. This option is enabled by default. If you enable this option, select Blocked or
Monitor. The default is Monitor.
5. Under Security Profiles, you can enable or disable the AntiVirus, Web Filter, Application Control, and
Intrusion Prevention profiles. To view available profiles, click the down arrow. The defaults for these options are
wifi-default.
Configure Security Profile Groups - CLI syntax
You configure security profile groups on managed smart FortiAPs by using the config wireless-controller
utm-profile command. Then, you can assign a security profile group by using the set utm-profile command

under config wirelesscontroller vap, after local-bridging is set to enable.

Note that the default utm-profile, named wifi-default, has all applicable options within the command set to
wifi-default.
To view all available profiles that you can assign, type "?". For example, "set ips-sensor ?".
config wireless-controller utm-profile
edit <name>
set comment <comment>
set utm-log {enable | disable}
set ips-sensor <name>
set application-list <name>
set antivirus-profile <name>
set webfilter-profile <name>
set scan-botnet-connections {disable | block | monitor}
next
end

edit <name>
set local-bridging enable
set utm-profile <name>
next
end
To debug the wireless-controller configurations related to security profile groups, use the following
diagnose command:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac_hlp

Access point configuration
This section describes how to configure access points for your wireless network.
FortiAP units discover WiFi controllers. The administrator of the WiFi controller authorizes the FortiAP units that the
controller can manage.
In most cases, FortiAP units can find WiFi controllers through the wired Ethernet without any special configuration.
Review the Network topology of managed APs on page 41 section to make sure that your method of connecting the
FortiAP unit to the WiFi controller is valid. Then, you are ready to follow the procedures in Discovery and authorization of
APs on page 43.
If your FortiAP units are unable to find the WiFi controller, refer to Advanced WiFi controller discovery on page 53 for
detailed information about the FortiAP unit controller discovery methods and how you can configure them.

Network topology of managed APs
The FortiAP unit can be connected to the FortiGate unit in any of the following ways:
l Direct connection: The FortiAP unit is directly connected to the FortiGate unit with no switches between them.
This configuration is common for locations where the number of FortiAPs matches the number of internal ports
available on the FortiGate. In this configuration, the FortiAP unit requests an IP address from the FortiGate unit,
enters discovery mode and quickly finds the FortiGate WiFi controller. This configuration is also known as a
wirecloset deployment.
Direct connection deployment

l Switched connection: The FortiAP unit is connected to the FortiGate WiFi controller by an Ethernet switch
operating in L2 switching mode or L3 routing mode. There must be a routable path between the FortiAP unit and
the FortiGate unit and ports 5246 and 5247 must be open. This configuration is also known as a gateway
deployment.
Switched connection deployment

l Connection over WAN: The FortiGate WiFi controller is off-premises and connected by a VPN tunnel to a local
FortiGate. In this method of connectivity, it's best to configure each FortiAP with the static IP address of the WiFi
controller. Each FortiAP can be configured with three WiFi controller IP addresses for redundant failover. This
configuration is also known as a data center remote management deployment.
Connection-over-WAN deployment
Discovery and authorization of APs
To complete the discovery and authorization of APs, perform the following tasks:
l Configuring the network interface for the AP unit on page 44
l Pre-authorizing a FortiAP unit on page 44
l Enabling and configuring a discovered AP on page 45
l Disabling the automatic discovery of unknown FortiAPs on page 46
l Enabling the automatic authorization of extension devices on page 46
l Assigning the same FortiAP profile to multiple FortiAP units on page 46
l Overriding the FortiAP profile on page 46

Configuring the network interface for the AP unit
The interface to which you connect your wireless access point needs an IP address. No administrative access, DNS
Query service or authentication should be enabled.
To configure the interface for the AP unit - GUI
1. Go to Network > Interfaces and edit the interface to which the AP unit connects.
2. Set Addressing Mode to Dedicate to Extension Device.
3. Enter the IP address and netmask to use.
This FortiGate unit automatically configures a DHCP server on the interface that will assign the remaining higher
addresses up to .254 to FortiAP units. For example, if the IP address is 10.10.1.100, the FortiAP units will be
assigned 10.10.1.101 to 10.10.1.254. To maximize the available addresses, use the .1 address for the interface:
10.10.1.1, for example.
4. Select OK.
To configure the interface for the AP unit - CLI
In the CLI, you must configure the interface IP address and DHCP server separately.
edit port3
set mode static
set ip 10.10.70.1 255.255.255.0
end
edit 0
set interface "dmz"
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 10.10.70.254
end
set vci-match enable
set vci-string "FortiAP"
end
The optional vci-match and vci-string fields ensure that the DHCP server will provide IP addresses only to
FortiAP units.
Pre-authorizing a FortiAP unit
If you enter the FortiAP unit information in advance, the unit is authorized and begins to function when it is connected.
To pre-authorize a FortiAP unit
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and select Create New.

On some models the WiFi Controller menu is called WiFi & Switch Controller.
2. Enter the Serial Number of the FortiAP unit.

3. Configure the Wireless Settings as required.

4. Select OK.
Enabling and configuring a discovered AP
1. Connect the FortiAP unit to the FortiGate unit. Within two minutes, the WiFi & Switch Controller >
Managed FortiAPs page displays the discovered FortiAP unit.
2. Select the FortiAP unit and authorize that unit.
Discovered access point unit
When you authorize (enable) a FortiAP unit, it is configured by default to use the default FortiAP profile (determined by
model). You can create and select a different profile, if needed. The FortiAP profile defines the entire configuration for
the AP.
To add and configure the discovered AP unit - GUI

This configuration also applies to local WiFi radio on FortiWiFi models.
2. Select the FortiAP unit from the list and edit it.
3. Optionally, enter a Name. Otherwise, the unit will be identified by serial number.
4. Select Authorize.
5. Select a FortiAP Profile.
6. Select OK.
The physical access point is now added to the system. If the rest of the configuration is complete, it should be possible
to connect to the wireless network through the AP.
To add the discovered AP unit - CLI
First get a list of the discovered access point unit serial numbers:
get wireless-controller wtp
Add a discovered unit and associate it with AP-profile1, for example:

config wireless-controller wtp
edit FAP22A3U10600118
set admin enable
set wtp-profile AP-profile1
end
To view the status of the added AP unit

get

The join-time field should show a time, not “N/A”. See the preceding GUI procedure for more information.
Disabling the automatic discovery of unknown FortiAPs
By default, FortiGate adds newly discovered FortiAPs to the Managed FortiAPs list, awaiting the administrator's
authorization. Optionally, you can disable this automatic registration function to avoid adding unknown FortiAPs. A
FortiAP will be registered and listed only if its serial number has already been added manually to the Managed FortiAPs
list. AP registration is configured on each interface.
To disable automatic discovery and registration, enter the following command:
edit port15
set ap-discover disable
end
Enabling the automatic authorization of extension devices
To simplify adding FortiAP or FortiSwitch devices to your network, you can enable automatic authorization of devices as
they are connected, instead of authorizing each one individually.
This feature is only configurable in the CLI.
To enable automatic authorization on all dedicated interfaces

set auto-auth-extension-device enable
end
To enable automatic authorization per-interface

edit <port>
set auto-auth-extension-device enable
end
Assigning the same FortiAP profile to multiple FortiAP units
The same profile can now be applied to multiple managed FortiAP units at the same time. To do this, do the following:
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs to view the AP list.
2. Select all FortiAP units you wish to apply the profile to.
3. Right click on one of the selected FortiAPs and select Assign Profile.
4. Choose the profile you wish to apply.
Overriding the FortiAP profile
In the FortiAP configuration WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs, there are several radio settings under
Override Radio 1 and Override Radio 2. You can choose to set a value independently of the FortiAP profile setting.

When each of the radios are disabled, you will see what the FortiAP Profile has each of the settings configured to.
Band The available options depend on the capability of the radio. Overriding Band also
overrides Channels. Make appropriate settings in Channels.
Channels Choose channels. The available channels depend on the Band.
TX Power Control If you enable Auto, adjust to set the power range in dBm.
If you enable Manual, adjust the slider. The 100% setting is the maximum power
permitted in your region. See Setting your geographic location on page 16.
SSIDs Select Auto or Manual. Selecting Auto eliminates the need to re-edit the profile when
new SSIDs are created. However, you can still select SSIDs individually using Manual.
To override radio settings in the CLI
In this example, Radio 1 is set to 802.11n on channel 11, regardless of the profile setting.
edit FP221C3X14019926
config radio-1
set override-band enable
set band 802.11n
set override-channel enable
set channel 11
end
You can override settings for band, channel, vaps (SSIDs), and TX power.
Outside of configuring radio settings, you can also override FortiAP LED state, WAN port mode, IP Fragmentation
prevention method, spectrum analysis, split tunneling, and login password settings.
FortiAP CLI access
This section explains how to access the FortiAP CLI through the FortiAP Ethernet port or the FortiGate.
Accessing the FortiAP CLI through the FortiAP Ethernet port
The FortiAP unit has a CLI through which some configuration options can be set.
To access the FortiAP CLI through the FortiAP Ethernet port
1. Connect your computer to the FortiAP Ethernet interface, either directly with a cross-over cable or through a
separate switch or hub.
2. Change your computer IP address to 192.168.1.3
3. Using SSH, connect to IP address 192.168.1.2.
4. Ensure that FortiAP is in a private network with no DHCP server for the static IP address to be accessible.
5. Login with user name admin and no password.
6. Enter commands, as needed.
7. Optionally, use the passwd command to assign an administrative password for better security.

8. Save the configuration by entering the following command:

cfg –c .
9. Unplug the FortiAP and then plug it back in, in order for the configuration to take effect.
Accessing the FortiAP CLI through the FortiGate
After the FortiAP has been installed, physical access to the unit can be inconvenient. You can access the FortiAP CLI of
a connected FortiAP unit through the FortiGate unit that controls it.
To access the FortiAP CLI through the FortiGate
1. In the FortiGate GUI, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs.

2. Right click the row of the FortiAP that you want to connect to and then select >_ Connect to CLI.
The CLI Console window opens.
3. If the password prompt appears, then enter the required password. By default, there is no password.
4. When you are finished using the FortiAP CLI, enter exit.
5. To close the CLI Console window, click the X in the top right corner of the window.
FortiAP Configuration mode
To facilitate the initial deployment, you can reset FortiAP to enter the Configuration mode. With your Wi-Fi device, you
can access the FortiAP Configuration mode GUI, and then configure FortiAP.
The FortiAP Configuration mode is available on FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2, E models.
When FortiAP is in Configuration mode, the following behaviors apply:

l FortiAP broadcasts its SSID as FAP-config-<serial-number>.
l FortiAP does not broadcast any SSID configured by its controller.
l Only one WiFi client can connect to the broadcasted SSID.
l This SSID is open in NAT mode to allow internet connectivity.
l The transmit power for the broadcasted SSID is tuned down to 1 dBm on each radio, so the broadcasted SSID can
only be connected to from a nearby location.
l FortiAP automatically exits the Configuration mode after 30 minutes or if you reboot FortiAP.
FortiAP enters the Configuration mode when you hold the reset button for 5 to 10 seconds while FortiAP is booted up.
Reset button behavior
Reset duration (seconds) Action

less than 5 Reboot
5 to 10 Configuration mode
more than 10 Factory reset

Resetting FortiAP to enter the Configuration mode
1. Make sure FortiAP is booted up.

2. Use a pin to push and hold the reset button for 5 to 10 seconds.
FortiAP reboots and then enters the Configuration mode.
FortiAP starts to broadcast an open security SSID FAP-config-<serial-number>, for example FAP-config-
FP421E3X16000715.
3. You can now access the GUI or CLI of the FortiAP Configuration mode by performing:
l the recommended procedure, Accessing the GUI of the FortiAP Configuration mode on page 49
l or Accessing the CLI of the FortiAP Configuration mode on page 51
Accessing the GUI of the FortiAP Configuration mode
Note: This is the recommended procedure.

1. Use only one Wi-Fi device to connect to the SSID FAP-config-<serial-number>.
2. Open a web browser and visit https://192.168.100.1.
3. In the User Name field, type admin.
4. In the Password field, type the password associated with the admin account.
The FortiAP Dashboard window opens with a CONFIG MODE red banner at the bottom.
5. Under Settings, click Local Configuration.

FortiAP Config Mode - Local Configuration
6. Make configuration changes.

7. To save configuration changes, click OK.

8. To exit the Configuration mode, go to the admin menu at the top-right corner and click Reboot.
FortiAP Config Mode - Reboot
9. To confirm the system reboot, click Yes.

10. When the web browser displays a System Rebooting message, you can close the web browser window.
Configuration changes take effect after FortiAP restarts.
Accessing the CLI of the FortiAP Configuration mode
1. To connect to FortiAP, you can:

a. start a secure shell (SSH) session with the IP address of the FortiAP, or
b. start a console session, if your FortiAP has a console port
2. Use admin, as the login user.
3. Type the password associated with the admin account.
4. Make configuration changes. For details about FortiAP CLI commands, see FortiAP CLI configuration and
diagnostics commands on page 153.
5. To save configuration changes, type:
cfg -c
6. To exit the Configuration mode, type:

reboot
Configuration changes take effect after FortiAP restarts.

FortiAP unit firmware upgrade
You can view and upgrade the FortiAP unit firmware from the FortiGate unit that acts as its WiFi controller.
Checking the FortiAP unit firmware version
To view the list of FortiAP units that the FortiGate unit manages, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed
FortiAPs. The OS Version column shows the current firmware version running on each AP.
Upgrading FortiAP firmware from the FortiGate unit
You can upgrade the FortiAP firmware using either the GUI or the CLI. Only the CLI method can update all FortiAP units
at once.
To upgrade FortiAP unit firmware - GUI

2. Right-click the FortiAP unit in the list and select Upgrade.
or
Click the row of the FortiAP that you want to upgrade, and click Edit. In Firmware, click Upgrade.
3. Upgrade using FortiGuard, or select Browse and locate the firmware upgrade file.
4. Select OK.
5. When the upgrade process completes, select OK.
The FortiAP unit restarts.
To upgrade FortiAP unit firmware - CLI
1. Upload the FortiAP image to the FortiGate unit.

For example, the Firmware file is FAP_22A_v4.3.0_b0212_fortinet.out and the server IP address is 192.168.0.100.
execute wireless-controller upload-wtp-image tftp FAP_22A_v4.3.0_b0212_fortinet.out
192.168.0.100
If your server is FTP, change tftp to ftp, and if necessary add your user name and password at the end of the
command.
2. Verify that the image is uploaded:
execute wireless-controller list-wtp-image
3. Upgrade the FortiAP units:
exec wireless-controller reset-wtp all
If you want to upgrade only one FortiAP unit, enter its serial number instead of all.
Upgrading FortiAP firmware from the FortiAP unit
You can connect to a FortiAP unit’s internal CLI to update its firmware from a TFTP server on the same network. This
method does not require access to the wireless controller.

1. Place the FortiAP firmware image on a TFTP server on your computer.

2. Connect the FortiAP unit to a separate private switch or hub or directly connect to your computer via a cross-over
cable.
3. Change your computer IP address to 192.168.1.3.
4. Using SSH, connect to IP address 192.168.1.2.
This IP address is overwritten if the FortiAP is connected to a DHCP environment. Ensure that the FortiAP unit is in
a private network with no DHCP server.
5. Login with the username “admin” and no password.
6. Enter the following command.
For example, the FortiAP image file name is FAP_22A_v4.3.0_b0212_fortinet.out.
restore FAP_22A_v4.3.0_b0212_fortinet.out 192.168.1.3
Advanced WiFi controller discovery
A FortiAP unit can use any of six methods to locate a controller. By default, FortiAP units cycle through all six of the
discovery methods. In most cases there is no need to make configuration changes on the FortiAP unit.
There are exceptions. The following section describes the WiFi controller discovery methods in more detail and provides
information about configuration changes you might need to make so that discovery will work.
Controller discovery methods
There are six methods that a FortiAP unit can use to discover a WiFi controller. Below is the list of AC discovery
methods used in sequence, if the FortiAP discovery type is set to auto:
1(static) → 2(dhcp) → 3(dns) → 7(fortiapcloud) → 5(multicast) → 6(broadcast)
For every discovery type, FortiAP sends out discovery requests and sets a timer, an interval defined as a random
number of seconds (between 2 and 180, default is 5 seconds), which is set via the CLI:
CLI syntax

set discovery-interval 5
end
After the timeout is reached, FortiAP sends out another discovery request, up to a maximum of 3 times.
After about 3 - 15 seconds, if FortiAP has no AC connection, it will switch to another discovery type and repeat the above
process until the last one (broadcast) fails, which will lead to SULKING state.
After about 30 seconds, FortiAP will go into an AC_IP_DISCVER state. After the AC IP is found, it will go to IDLE state,
and will eventually go to the DISCOVERY state, and repeat the above process again.
Note that, while the process above is showcasing the auto discovery method, it's recommended to set the AC_
DISCOVERY_TYPE to your used method in order to reduce downtime.

Static IP configuration
If FortiAP and the controller are not in the same subnet, broadcast and multicast packets cannot reach the controller.
The admin can specify the controller’s static IP on the AP unit. The AP unit sends a discovery request message in
unicast to the controller. Routing must be properly configured in both directions.
To specify the controller’s IP address on a FortiAP unit
cfg –a AC_IPADDR_1="192.168.0.100"
By default, the FortiAP unit receives its IP address, netmask, and gateway address by DHCP. If you prefer, you can
assign these statically.
To assign a static IP address to the FortiAP unit
cfg -a ADDR_MODE=STATIC
cfg –a AP_IPADDR="192.168.0.100"
cfg -a AP_NETMASK="255.255.255.0"
cfg –a IPGW=192.168.0.1
cfg -c
For information about connecting to the FortiAP CLI, see FortiAP CLI access on page 47.
DHCP
If you use DHCP to assign an IP address to your FortiAP unit, you can also provide the WiFi controller IP address at the
same time. This is useful if the AP is located remotely from the WiFi controller and other discovery techniques will not
work.
When you configure the DHCP server, configure Option 138 to specify the WiFi controller IP address. You need to
convert the address into hexadecimal. Convert each octet value separately from left to right and concatenate them. For
example, 192.168.0.1 converts to C0A80001.
If Option 138 is used for some other purpose on your network, you can use a different option number if you configure the
AP units to match.
To change the FortiAP DHCP option code
To use option code 139 for example, enter

cfg –a AC_DISCOVERY_DHCP_OPTION_CODE=139
DNS
The access point can discover controllers through your domain name server (DNS). For the access point to do so, you
must configure your DNS to return controller IP addresses in response. Allow DNS lookup of the hostname configured in

the AP by using the AP parameter "AC_HOSTNAME_1".
FortiAP Cloud
The access point can discover FortiAP Cloud by doing a DNS lookup of the hardcoded FortiAP Cloud AP controller
hostname "apctrl1.fortinet.com". The FortiAP Cloud AC discovery technique finds the AC info from apctl1.fortinet.com
using HTTPS.
FortiAP Cloud - APController: apctrl1.fortinet.com:443 208.91.113.187:443
Broadcast request
The AP unit broadcasts a discovery request message to the network and the controller replies. The AP and
the controller must be in the same broadcast domain. No configuration adjustments are required.
Multicast request
The AP unit sends a multicast discovery request and the controller replies with a unicast discovery response message.
The AP and the controller do not need to be in the same broadcast domain if multicast routing is properly configured.
The default multicast destination address is 224.0.1.140. It can be changed through the CLI. The address must be
same on the controller and AP.
To change the multicast address on the controller

set discovery-mc-addr 224.0.1.250
end
To change the multicast address on a FortiAP unit
cfg –a AC_DISCOVERY_MC_ADDR="224.0.1.250"
Wireless client load balancing for high-density deployments
Wireless load balancing allows your wireless network to distribute wireless traffic more efficiently among wireless access
points and available frequency bands. FortiGate wireless controllers support the following types of client load balancing:
l Access point handoff - the wireless controller signals a client to switch to another access point.
l Frequency handoff - the wireless controller monitors the usage of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and signals clients to
switch to the lesser-used frequency.
Load balancing is not applied to roaming clients.

Access point handoff
Access point handoff wireless load balancing involves the following:

l If the load on an access point (ap1) exceeds a threshold (of for example, 30 clients) then the client with the weakest
signal will be signaled by wireless controller to drop off and join another nearby access point (ap2).
l When one or more access points are overloaded (for example, more than 30 clients) and a new client attempts to
join a wireless network, the wireless controller selects the least busy access point that is closest to the new client
and this access point is the one that responds to the client and the one that the client joins.
Frequency handoff or band-steering
Encouraging clients to use the 5 GHz WiFi band if possible enables those clients to benefit from faster interference-free
5GHz communication. The remaining 2.4 GHz clients benefit from reduced interference.
The WiFi controller probes clients to determine their WiFi band capability. It also records the RSSI (signal strength) for
each client on each band.
If a new client attempts to join the network, the controller looks up that client’s MAC address in its wireless device table
and determines if it is a dual band device. If it is not a dual band device, then it is allowed to join. If it is a dual band
device, then its RSSI on 5 GHz is used to determine whether the device is close enough to an access point to benefit
from movement to 5 GHz frequency.
If both conditions of 1) dual band device and 2) RSSI value is strong, then the wireless controller does not reply to the
join request of the client. This forces the client to retry a few more times and then timeout and attempt to join the same
SSID on 5 GHz. Once the Controller see this new request on 5 GHz, the RSSI is again measured and the client is
allowed to join. If the RSSI is below threshold, then the device table is updated and the controller forces the client to
timeout again. A client’s second attempt to connect on 2.4 GHz will be accepted.
Handoff configuration
From the GUI, edit a custom AP profile and select Frequency Handoff and AP Handoff as required for each radio on
the AP.
From the CLI, you configure wireless client load balancing thresholds for each custom AP profile. Enable access point
handoff and frequency handoff separately for each radio in the custom AP profile.
edit new-ap-profile
set handoff-rssi <rssi_int>
set handoff-sta-thresh <clients_int>
config radio-1
set frequency-handoff {disable | enable}
set ap-handoff {disable | enable}
end
config radio-2
set frequency-handoff {disable | enable}
set ap-handoff {disable | enable}
end
end
Where:

l handoff-rssi is the RSSI threshold. Clients with a 5 GHz RSSI threshold over this value are load balanced to
the 5 GHz frequency band. Default is 25. Range is 20 to 30.
l handoff-sta-thresh is the access point handoff threshold. If the access point has more clients than this
threshold it is considered busy and clients are changed to another access point. Default is 30, range is 5 to 25.
l frequency-handoff enable or disable frequency handoff load balancing for this radio. Disabled by default.
l ap-handoff enable or disable access point handoff load balancing for this radio. Disabled by default.
Frequency handoff must be enabled on the 5 GHz radio to learn client capability.
FortiAP groups
FortiAP groups facilitate the application of FortiAP profiles to large numbers of FortiAPs. A FortiAP can belong to no
more than one FortiAP group. A FortiAP group can include only one model of FortiAP.
Through the VLAN pool feature, a FortiAP group can be associated with a VLAN to which WiFi clients will be assigned.
For more details about VLAN pool assignment, see VLAN assignment by VLAN pool on page 32.
To create a FortiAP group - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and select Create New > Managed AP Group.
2. Give the group a Name.
3. Choose Members.
4. Click OK.
To create a FortiAP group - CLI
In this example, wtp-group-1 is created for a FortiAP-221C and one member device is added.
config wireless-controller wtp-group
edit wtp-group-1
set platform-type 221C
config wtp-list
edit FP221C3X14019926
end
end
LAN port options
Some FortiAP models have one or more LAN interfaces that can provide wired network access. LAN ports can be
l bridged to the incoming WAN interface
l bridged to one of the WiFi SSIDs that the FortiAP unit carries
l connected by NAT to the incoming WAN interface
There are some differences among FortiAP models.

Models like 11C and 14C have one port labeled WAN and one or more ports labeled LAN. By default, the LAN ports are
offline. You can configure LAN port operation in the FortiAP Profile in the GUI (Wireless Controller > FortiAP
Profiles) or in the CLI (config wireless-controller wtp-profile, config lan subcommand).
Models like 320C, 320B, 112D, and 112B have two ports, labeled LAN1 and LAN2. LAN1 acts as a WAN port connecting
the FortiAP to a FortiGate or FortiAP Cloud. By default, LAN2 is bridged to LAN1. Other modes of LAN2 operation must
be enabled in the CLI:
edit <profile_name>
set wan-port-mode wan-lan
end
By default wan-port-mode is set to wan-only.

When wan-port-mode is set to wan-lan, LAN2 Port options are available in the GUI and the CLI the same as the
other FortiAP models that have labeled WAN and LAN ports.
Bridging a LAN port with an SSID
Bridging a LAN port with a FortiAP SSID combines traffic from both sources to provide a single broadcast domain for
wired and wireless users.
In this configuration
l The IP addresses for LAN clients come from the DHCP server that serves the wireless clients.
l Traffic from LAN clients is bridged to the SSID’s VLAN. Dynamic VLAN assignment for hosts on the LAN port is not
supported.
l Wireless and LAN clients are on the same network and can communicate locally, via the FortiAP.
l Any host connected to the LAN port will be taken as authenticated. RADIUS MAC authentication for hosts on the
LAN port is not supported.
For configuration instructions, see LAN port options on page 57.
Bridging a LAN port with the WAN port
Bridging a LAN port with the WAN port enables the FortiAP unit to be used as a hub which is also an access point.
In this configuration
l The IP addresses for LAN clients come from the WAN directly and will typically be in the same range as the AP
itself.
l All LAN client traffic is bridged directly to the WAN interface.
l Communication between wireless and LAN clients can only occur if a policy on the FortiGate unit allows it.
For configuration instructions, see LAN port options on page 57.
Configuring FortiAP LAN ports
You can configure FortiAP LAN ports for APs in a FortiAP Profile. A profile applies to APs that are the same model and
share the same configuration. If you have multiple models or different configurations, you might need to create several
FortiAP Profiles. For an individual AP, it is also possible to override the profile settings.

To configure FortiAP LAN ports - GUI
1. If your FortiAP unit has LAN ports, but no port labeled WAN (models 320C, 320B, 112D, and 112B for example),
enable LAN port options in the CLI:
edit <profile_name>
end
2. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles.
3. Edit the default profile for your FortiAP model or select Create New.
4. If you are creating a new profile, enter a Name and select the correct Platform (model).
5. Select SSIDs.
6. In the LAN Port section, set Mode to Bridge to and select an SSID or WAN Port as needed.
On some models with multiple LAN ports, you can set Mode to Custom and configure the LAN ports individually.
Enable each port that you want to use and select an SSID or WAN Port as needed.
7. Select OK.
Be sure to select this profile when you authorize your FortiAP units.
To configure FortiAP LAN ports - CLI
In this example, the default FortiAP-11C profile is configured to bridge the LAN port to the office SSID.
edit FAP11C-default
config lan
set port-mode bridge-to-ssid
set port-ssid office
end
end
end
In this example, the default FortiAP-28C profile is configured to bridge LAN port1 to the office SSID and to bridge the
other LAN ports to the WAN port.
edit FAP28C-default
config lan
set port1-mode bridge-to-ssid
set port1-ssid office
set port2-mode bridge-to-wan
end
end
In this example, the default FortiAP-320C profile is configured to bridge the LAN port to the office SSID.
config lan


end
end
end
To configure FortiAP unit LAN ports as a FortiAP Profile override - GUI

2. Select the FortiAP unit from the list and select Edit.
3. Select the FortiAP Profile, if this has not already been done.
4. In the LAN Port section, select Override.
The options for Mode are shown.
5. Set Mode to Bridge to and select an SSID or WAN Port, or NAT to WAN as needed.
On some models with multiple LAN ports, you can set Mode to Custom and configure the LAN ports individually.
Enable and configure each port that you want to use.
6. Select OK.
To configure FortiAP unit LAN ports as a FortiAP Profile override - CLI
In this example, a FortiAP unit’s configuration overrides the FortiAP Profile to bridge the LAN port to the office SSID.
edit FP320C3X14020000
set wtp-profile FAP320C-default
set override-wan-port-mode enable
set override-lan enable
config lan
end
end
IP fragmentation of packets in CAPWAP tunnels
A common problem with controller-based WiFi networks is reduced performance due to IP fragmentation of packets in
the CAPWAP tunnel.
Fragmentation can occur because of CAPWAP tunnel overhead increasing packet size. If the original wireless client
packets are close to the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for the network (usually 1500 bytes for Ethernet
networks unless jumbo frames are used) the resulting CAPWAP packets may be larger than the MTU, causing the
packets to be fragmented. Fragmenting packets can result in data loss, jitter, and decreased throughput.
The FortiOS/FortiAP solution to this problem is to cause wireless clients to send smaller packets to FortiAP devices,
resulting in 1500-byte CAPWAP packets and no fragmentation. The following options configure CAPWAP IP
fragmentation control:
set ip-fragment-preventing {tcp-mss-adjust | icmp-unreachable}
set tun-mtu-uplink {0 | 576 | 1500}
set tun-mtu-downlink {0 | 576 | 1500}

end
end
By default, tcp-mss-adjust is enabled, icmp-unreachable is disabled, and tun-mtu-uplink and tun-

mtu-downlink are set to 0.
To set tun-mtu-uplink and tun-mtu-downlink, use the default TCP MTU value of 1500. This default
configuration prevents packet fragmentation because the FortiAP unit limits the size of TCP packets received from
wireless clients so the packets don’t have to be fragmented before CAPWAP encapsulation.
The tcp-mss-adjust option causes the FortiAP unit to limit the maximum segment size (MSS) of TCP packets sent
by wireless clients. The FortiAP does this by adding a reduced MSS value to the SYN packets sent by the FortiAP unit
when negotiating with a wireless client to establish a session. This results in the wireless client sending packets that are
smaller than the tun-mtu-uplink setting, so that when the CAPWAP headers are added, the CAPWAP packets
have an MTU that matches the tun-mtu-uplink size.
The icmp-unreachable option affects all traffic (UDP and TCP) between wireless clients and the FortiAP unit. This
option causes the FortiAP unit to drop packets that have the "Don't Fragment" bit set in their IP header and that are
large enough to cause fragmentation and then send an ICMP packet -- type 3 "ICMP Destination unreachable" with
code 4 "Fragmentation Needed and Don't Fragment was Set" back to the wireless controller. This should cause the
wireless client to send smaller TCP and UDP packets.
Overriding IP fragmentation settings on a FortiAP
If the FortiAP Profile settings for IP fragmentation are not appropriate for a particular FortiAP, you can override the
settings on that specific unit.
edit FAP321C3X14019926
set override-ip-fragment enable
set ip-fragment-preventing {tcp-mss-adjust | icmp-unreachable}
set tun-mtu-uplink {0 | 576 | 1500}
set tun-mtu-downlink {0 | 576 | 1500}
end
end
CAPWAP bandwidth formula
The following section provides information on how to calculate the control plane CAPWAP traffic load in local bridging.
The formula provided can help estimate the approximate package bandwidth cost. This is important for knowing
precisely how much bandwidth is required on a WAN link for a centralized FortiGate managing hundreds of access
points.
There are multiple factors that might affect the volume of CAPWAP control traffic, including the number of stations
there are and large WiFi events.
The Ethernet/IP/UDP/CAPWAP uplink header cost should be approximately 66 bytes.
The tables below depict basic and commonly used optional CAPWAP bandwidth costs, on a per-AP basis.
Note the following:

l STA: The number of stations associated with the FortiAP.

l ARP scan: Finds hidden devices in your network.
l VAP: The number of VAPS held by the FortiAP.
l Radio: The number of radios (maximum of two) enabled by the FortiAP.
Basic per-AP CAPWAP bandwidth costs
Content Time Payload Package bandwidth cost (bps)

(seconds) (byte)
Echo Req 30 16 (66+16)*8/30=21.86
STA scan 30 25+20*sta (66+25+20*sta)*8/30=24.26+5.3*sta
ARP scan 30 25+18*sta (66+25+18*sta)*8/30=24.26+4.8*sta
STA CAP 30 25+19*sta (66+25+19*sta)*8/30=24.26+5.1*sta
STA stats 1 25+41*sta (66+25+41*sta)*8/1=728.0+328.0*sta
VAP stats 15 40+18*vap (66+40+18*vap)*8/15=56.53+9.6*vap
Radio stats 15 25+25*radio (66+25+25*radio)*8/15=48.53+13.3*radio
Total: 908.7+343.2*sta+9.6*vap+13.3*radio
Commonly used optional per-AP CAPWAP bandwidth costs
Content Time Payload (byte) Package bandwidth cost (bps)

(seconds)
AP scan 30 25+63*scanned- (66+25+63*scanned-ap)*8/30=24.26+16.8*scanned-ap

ap
Total: 932.96+343.2*sta+9.6*vap+13.3*radio+16.8*scanned-ap
Enabling WIDS features, LLDP, MESH, FortiPresence, and Client Station Locating Service
can lead to additional bandwidth consumption.
Example:
There are 100 FortiAPs, with 187 stations distributed among them. Each FortiAP holds five VAPs among their radios,
and each enables two radios. The basic CAPWAP bandwidth cost would be:
908.7*100+343.2*187+9.6*5*100+13.3*2*100 = 162.51 kbps
Additionally, if two FortiAPs enabled "AP scan", and suppose one scans 99 APs in each scan and the other scans 20 APs
in each scan, the additional CAPWAP bandwidth cost would be:
(24.26+16.8*99)+(24.26+16.8*20) = 2 kbps

Enabling LLDP protocol
You can enable the LLDP protocol in the FortiAP Profile via the CLI. Each FortiAP using that profile can then send back
information about the switch and port that it is connected to.
To enable LLDP, enter the following:
edit <profile-name>
set lldp enable
end
LED options
Optionally, the status LEDs on FortiAP can be kept dark. This is useful in dormitories, classrooms, hotels, medical
clinics, and hospitals where lights can distract or annoy occupants.
On FortiGate, the LED state is controlled in the FortiAP Profile. By default the LEDs are enabled. The setting is CLI-
only. For example, to disable the LEDs on FortiAP-221C units controlled by the FAP221C-default profile, enter:
set led-state disable
end
You can override the FortiAP Profile LED state setting on an individual FortiAP using the CLI. For example, to make
sure the LEDs are disabled on one specific unit, enter:
set override-led-state enable
set led-state disable
end
The LED state is also controllable from the FortiAP unit itself. By default, the FortiAP follows the FortiAP Profile setting.
LED schedules
Use the command below (led-schedule) to assign recurring firewall schedules for illuminating LEDs on the FortiAP.
This entry is only available when led-state is enabled, at which point LEDs will be visible when at least one of the
schedules is valid.
Separate multiple schedule names with a space, as configured under config firewall schedule group and
config firewall schedule recurring.
Syntax

edit {name}
set led-state {enable | disable}
set led-schedules <name>
next

end

Wireless mesh configuration
The access points of a WiFi network are usually connected to the WiFi controller through Ethernet wiring. A wireless
mesh eliminates the need for Ethernet wiring by connecting WiFi access points to the controller by radio. This is useful
where installation of Ethernet wiring is impractical.
Wireless mesh topology
A wireless mesh is a multiple access point (AP) network in which only one FortiAP unit is connected to the wired
network. The other FortiAPs communicate with the controller over a separate backhaul SSID that isn't available to
regular WiFi clients. The AP connected to the network by Ethernet is called the mesh root node. The backhaul SSID
carries CAPWAP discovery, configuration, and other communications that would usually be carried on an Ethernet
connection.
The root node can be a FortiAP unit or the built-in AP of a FortiWiFi unit. APs that serve regular WiFi clients are called
leaf nodes. Leaf APs also carry the mesh SSID for more distant leaf nodes. A leaf node can connect to the mesh SSID
directly from the root node or from any of the other leaf nodes. This provides redundancy in case of an AP failure.
All access points in a wireless mesh configuration must have at least one of their radios configured to provide mesh
backhaul communication. As with wired APs, when mesh APs start up, they can be discovered by a FortiGate or
FortiWiFi unit WiFi controller and authorized to join the network.
The backhaul SSID delivers the best performance when it is carried on a dedicated radio. On a two-radio FortiAP unit,
for example, the 5 GHz radio could carry only the backhaul SSID while the 2.4 GHz radio carries one or more SSIDs that
serve users. You can configure background WiFi scanning in this mode.
The backhaul SSID can also share the same radio with SSIDs that serve users. Performance is reduced because the
backhaul and user traffic compete for the available bandwidth. Background WiFi scanning isn't available in this mode.
One advantage of this mode is that a two-radio AP can offer WiFi coverage on both bands.

Wireless mesh deployment modes
There are two common wireless mesh deployment modes:
Wireless mesh Access points are connected to a FortiGate or FortiWiFi unit WiFi controller. WiFi users
connect to wireless SSIDs in the same way as on non-mesh WiFi networks.
Wireless bridging Two LAN segments are connected together over a wireless link (the backhaul SSID). On the
leaf AP, the Ethernet connection can be used to provide a wired network. Both WiFi and wired
users on the leaf AP are connected to the LAN segment to which the root AP is connected.
Firmware requirements
All FortiAP units that are part of the wireless mesh network must be upgraded to FortiAP firmware version 5.0, build
003, or higher. FortiAP-222B units must have their BIOS upgraded to version 400012. The FortiWiFi or FortiGate unit
used as the WiFi controller must be running FortiOS firmware version 5.0 or higher.
Types of wireless mesh
A WiFi mesh can provide access to widely-distributed clients. The mesh root AP which is directly connected to the WiFi
controller can be either a FortiAP unit or the built-in AP of a FortiWiFi unit that is also the WiFi controller.
FortiAP units used as both mesh root AP and leaf AP

FortiWiFi unit as mesh root AP with FortiAP units as leaf APs
An alternate use of the wireless mesh is as a point-to-point relay. Both wired and WiFi users on the leaf AP side are
connected to the LAN segment on the mesh root side.
Point-to-point wireless mesh

Fast-roaming for mesh backhaul link
Mesh implementations for leaf FortiAP can perform background scanning when the leaf AP is associated with the root.
Various options for background scanning can be configured with the CLI. For more details about the mesh variables
available in the FortiAP CLI, see Mesh variables on page 155
Configuring a meshed WiFi network
To configure a mesh WiFi network, perform the following tasks:

l Creating the mesh root SSID on page 68
l Creating the FortiAP profile on page 68
l Configuring the mesh root AP on page 69
l Configuring the mesh leaf FortiAPs on page 70
l Authorizing leaf APs on page 71
l Creating security policies on page 71
l Viewing the status of the mesh network on page 71
This section assumes that the end-user SSIDs already exist.
Creating the mesh root SSID
The mesh route SSID is the radio backhaul that conveys the user SSID traffic to the leaf FortiAPs.
To configure the mesh root SSID
2. Enter a Name for the WiFi interface.
3. In Traffic Mode, select Mesh Downlink.
4. Enter the SSID.
5. Set Security Mode to WPA2 Personal and enter the Pre-shared key.
Remember the key because you need to enter it for the leaf FortiAP configuration.
6. Select OK.
Creating the FortiAP profile
Create a FortiAP profile for the meshed FortiAPs. If more than one FortiAP model is involved, you need to create a
profile for each model. Typically, the profile is configured so that Radio 1 (5GHz) carries the mesh backhaul SSID while
Radio 2 (2.4GHz) carries the SSIDs to which users connect.
For Radio 1, use the Select SSIDs option and choose only the backhaul SSID. The radio that carries the backhaul
traffic must not carry other SSIDs.
Radio 2 carries user SSIDs and shouldn't carry the backhaul. Use the Select SSIDs option and choose the networks
that you want to provide.

For more information, see Creating a FortiAP profile on page 17.
Configuring the mesh root AP
The mesh root AP can be either a FortiWiFi unit’s built-in AP or a FortiAP unit.
To enable a FortiWiFi unit’s local radio as mesh root
1. On the FortiWiFi unit, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Local WiFi Radio.

2. Select Enable WiFi Radio.
3. In SSID, select Select SSIDs, then select the mesh root SSID.
4. Optionally, adjust Tx Power or select Auto Tx Power Control.
5. Select Apply.
In a network with multiple wireless controllers, make sure that each mesh root has a unique
SSID. Other controllers using the same mesh root SSID may be detected as fake or rogue
APs. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID to change the SSID.
To configure a network interface for the mesh root FortiAP unit
1. On the FortiGate unit, go to Network > Interfaces.

2. Edit the interface where you will connect the FortiAP unit.
3. Make sure that Role is LAN.
4. In Addressing mode, select Dedicated to FortiSwitch.
5. In IP/Network Mask, enter an IP address and netmask for the interface.
DHCP provides addresses to connected devices. To maximize the number of available addresses, the interface
address must end with 1, for example 192.168.10.1.
6. Select OK.
At this point you can connect the mesh root FortiAP (see below). If you are planning to configure leaf FortiAPs through
the wireless controller (see Configuring the mesh leaf FortiAPs on page 70), then connect the root unit later.
To enable the root FortiAP unit
1. Connect the root FortiAP unit’s Ethernet port to the FortiGate network interface that you configured.
2. On the FortiGate unit, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs.
If the root FortiAP unit is not listed, wait 15 seconds and select Refresh. Repeat if necessary. If the unit is still
missing after a minute or two, power cycle the root FortiAP unit and try again.
3. Right-click the FortiAP entry and choose your profile from the Assign Profile submenu.
4. Right-click the FortiAP entry and select Authorize.
Initially, the State of the FortiAP unit is Offline. Periodically click Refresh to update the status. Within about two
minutes, the state changes to Online.
5. Select OK.

Configuring the mesh leaf FortiAPs
The FortiAP units that serve as leaf nodes must be preconfigured. This involves changing the FortiAP unit's internal
configuration. You can do this by direct connection or through the FortiGate wireless controller.
Method 1: Direct connection to the FortiAP
1. Configure the computer IP as 192.168.1.3.

2. Connect the computer to the FortiAP unit's Ethernet port and use the default IP address, 192.168.1.2.
3. Log in to the FortiAP as admin. By default, no password is set.
4. Enter the following commands:
a. If you are using the GUI, go to Connectivity > Uplink and select the Mesh option. Then enter the Mesh AP
SSID and Mesh AP Password (pre-shared key).
b. If you are using the FortiAP CLI (SSH), enter the following commands, substituting your own SSID and
password (pre-shared key):
cfg -a MESH_AP_TYPE=1
cfg -a MESH_AP_SSID=fortinet.mesh.root
cfg -a MESH_AP_PASSWD=hardtoguess
cfg -c
exit
5. Disconnect the computer.
6. Power down the FortiAP.
7. Repeat the preceding steps for each leaf FortiAP.
Method 2: Connecting through the FortiGate unit
1. Connect the Ethernet port on the leaf FortiAP to the FortiGate network interface that you configured for FortiAPs.
Connect the FortiAP unit to a power source unless PoE is used.
2. On the FortiGate unit, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs.
If the FortiAP unit is not listed, wait 15 seconds and select Refresh. Repeat if necessary. If the unit is still missing
after a minute or two, power cycle the FortiAP unit and try again.
3. Select the discovered FortiAP unit and authorize it. Click Refresh every 10 seconds until the State indicator
changes to Online.
4. Right-click the FortiAP and select >_Connect to CLI. The CLI Console window opens. Log in as "admin".
5. Enter the following commands, substituting your own SSID and password (pre-shared key):
cfg -a MESH_AP_TYPE=1
cfg -a MESH_AP_SSID=fortinet.mesh.root
cfg -a MESH_AP_PASSWD=hardtoguess
cfg -c
exit
6. Disconnect the FortiAP and delete it from the Managed FortiAP list.
7. Repeat the preceding steps for each leaf FortiAP.

Authorizing leaf APs
When the root FortiAP is connected and online, apply power to the preconfigured leaf FortiAPs. The leaf FortiAPs will
connect themselves wirelessly to the WiFi Controller through the mesh network. You must authorize each unit.
1. On the FortiGate unit, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs. Periodically select Refresh until
the FortiAP unit is listed. This can take up to three minutes.
The State of the FortiAP unit should be Waiting for Authorization.
2. Right-click the FortiAP entry and choose your profile from the Assign Profile submenu.
3. Right-click the FortiAP entry and select Authorize.
Initially, the State of the FortiAP unit is Offline. Periodically click Refresh to update the status. Within about two
minutes, the state changes to Online.
Creating security policies
To permit traffic to flow from the end-user WiFi network to the network interfaces for the Internet and other networks,
you need to create security policies and enable NAT.
Viewing the status of the mesh network
On the FortiGate unit, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs to view the list of APs.
The Connected Via column lists the IP address of each FortiAP and uses icons to show whether the FortiAP is
connected by Ethernet or mesh.
Ethernet
Mesh
To see how the FortiGate wireless controller connects to the FortiAP, mouse over the Connected Via information.

Configuring a point-to-point bridge
To connect two wired network segments using a WiFi link, you can create a point-to-point bridge. The effect is the same
as connecting the two network segments to the same wired switch.
You need to:
l Configure a mesh-backhaul SSID and a mesh root AP as described in Configuring the mesh root AP on page 69.
Note: The mesh root AP for a point-to-point bridge must be a FortiAP unit, not the internal AP of a FortiWiFi unit.
l Configure a mesh leaf FortiAP as described in Configuring the mesh leaf FortiAPs on page 70 and add these steps
to configure the Ethernet bridge:
l If you are using the FortiAP GUI, select Ethernet Bridge.
l If you are using the FortiAP CLI, insert the following command before the line reading cfg -c:
cfg -a MESH_ETH_BRIDGE=1
l Connect the local wired network to the Ethernet port on the mesh leaf FortiAP unit. Users are assigned IP
addresses from the DHCP server on the wired network connected to the mesh root FortiAP unit.
In general, the mesh-Ethernet bridge automatically detects VLAN ID tags in data packets and
allows them to pass. When necessary, you can configure VLAN IDs for permanent support in
a mesh-Ethernet bridge. To do this, enter the following commands in the mesh leaf FortiAP
CLI:
cfg -a MESH_ETH_BRIDGE_VLANS=100,200,300
cfg -c

Hotspot 2.0 ANQP configuration
Hotspot 2.0 Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) is a query and response protocol that defines seamless roaming
services offered by an AP. To configure Hotspot 2.0 ANQP, use the CLI commands available under config
wireless-controller hostspot20:
Syntax
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-3gpp-cellular

edit {name}
config mcc-mnc-list
edit {id}
set id {integer}
set mcc {string}
set mnc {string}
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-ip-address-type

edit {name}
set ipv6-address-type {option}
set ipv4-address-type {option}
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-nai-realm

edit {name}
config nai-list
edit {name}
set encoding {enable | disable}
set nai-realm {string}
config eap-method
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set method {option}
config auth-param
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set id {option}
set val {option}
next
next
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-network-auth-type

edit {name}
set auth-type {option}
set url {string}
next

end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-roaming-consortium

edit {name}
config oi-list
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set oi {string}
set comment {string}
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 anqp-venue-name

edit {name}
config value-list
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set lang {string}
set value {string}
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 h2qp-conn-capability

edit {name}
set icmp-port {option}
set ftp-port {option}
set ssh-port {option}
set http-port {option}
set tls-port {option}
set pptp-vpn-port {option}
set voip-tcp-port {option}
set voip-udp-port {option}
set ikev2-port {option}
set ikev2-xx-port {option}
set esp-port {option}
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 h2qp-operator-name

edit {name}
config value-list
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set lang {string}
set value {string}
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 h2qp-osu-provider

edit {name}
config friendly-name
edit {index}
set index {integer}
set lang {string}

set friendly-name {string}

next
set server-uri {string}
set osu-method {option}
set osu-nai {string}
config service-description
edit {service-id}
set service-id {integer}
set lang {string}
set service-description {string}
next
set icon {string}
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 h2qp-wan-metric

edit {name}
set link-status {option}
set symmetric-wan-link {option}
set link-at-capacity {enable | disable}
set uplink-speed {integer}
set downlink-speed {integer}
set uplink-load {integer}
set downlink-load {integer}
set load-measurement-duration {integer}
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 hs-profile

edit {name}
set access-network-type {option}
set access-network-internet {enable | disable}
set access-network-asra {enable | disable}
set access-network-esr {enable | disable}
set access-network-uesa {enable | disable}
set venue-group {option}
set venue-type {option}
set hessid {mac address}
set proxy-arp {enable | disable}
set l2tif {enable | disable}
set pame-bi {enable | disable}
set anqp-domain-id {integer}
set domain-name {string}
set osu-ssid {string}
set gas-comeback-delay {integer}
set gas-fragmentation-limit {integer}
set dgaf {enable | disable}
set deauth-request-timeout {integer}
set wnm-sleep-mode {enable | disable}
set bss-transition {enable | disable}
set venue-name {string}
set roaming-consortium {string}
set nai-realm {string}
set oper-friendly-name {string}
config osu-provider
edit {name}
next

set wan-metrics {string}

set network-auth {string}
set 3gpp-plmn {string}
set conn-cap {string}
set qos-map {string}
set ip-addr-type {string}
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 icon

edit {name}
config icon-list
edit {name}
set lang {string}
set file {string}
set type {option}
set width {integer}
set height {integer}
next
next
end
config wireless-controller hotspot20 qos-map

edit {name}
config dscp-except
edit {index}
set index
set dscp
set up
next
config dscp-range
edit {index}
set index
set up
set low
set high
next
next
end

WiFi network with wired LAN configuration
This section includes the following topics:

l Combining WiFi network and wired LAN with a software switch on page 77
l Configuring a FortiAP local bridge (private cloud-managed AP) on page 79
l Using bridged FortiAPs for increased scalability on page 82
Combining WiFi network and wired LAN with a software switch
A WiFi network can be combined with a wired LAN so that WiFi and wired clients are on the same subnet. This is a
convenient configuration for users.
Software switches are only available if your FortiGate is in Interface mode.
Wireless Mesh features cannot be used in conjunction with this configuration because they
enable the FortiAP Local Bridge option.
To create the WiFi network and wired LAN configuration, you need to:
l Configure the SSID so that traffic is tunneled to the WiFi controller.
l Configure a software switch interface on the FortiGate unit with the WiFi and internal network interface as
members.
l Configure Captive Portal security for the software switch interface.
To configure the SSID - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and select Create New.

2. Enter:
Interface name A name for the new WiFi interface. For example, homenet_if.
Traffic Mode Tunnel to Wireless Controller
SSID The SSID visible to users. For example, homenet.
Security Mode Configure security as you would for a regular WiFi network.
Data Encryption
Preshared Key
3. Select OK.
4. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs, select the FortiAP unit for editing.
5. Authorize the FortiAP unit.
The FortiAP unit can carry regular SSIDs in addition to the Bridge SSID.

To configure the SSID - CLI
This example creates a WiFi interface “homenet_if” with SSID “homenet” using WPA-Personal security, passphrase
“Fortinet1”.
edit "homenet_if"
set vdom "root"
set ssid "homenet"
set passphrase "Fortinet1"
end
edit FAP22B3U11005354
set admin enable
set vaps "homenet_if"
end
To configure the FortiGate software switch - GUI
1. Go to Network > Interfaces and select Create New > Interface.

2. Enter:
Interface Name A name for the new interface. For example, homenet_nw.
Type Software Switch
Physical Interface Members Add homenet_if and the internal network interface.
Addressing mode Select Manual and enter an address, for example

172.16.96.32/255.255.255.0
DHCP Server Enable and configure an address range for clients.
Security Mode Select Captive Portal. Add the permitted User Groups.
3. Select OK.
To configure the FortiGate software switch - CLI

edit homenet_nw
set ip 172.16.96.32 255.255.255.0
set type switch
set security-mode captive-portal
set security-groups "Guest-group"
end
edit homenet_nw
set member "homenet_if" "internal"
end

VLAN configuration
If your environment uses VLAN tagging, you assign the SSID to a specific VLAN in the CLI. See Reserved VLAN IDs on
page 15. For example, to assign the homenet_if interface to VLAN 100, enter:
edit "homenet_if"
set vlanid 100
end
Additional configuration
The configuration described above provides communication between WiFi and wired LAN users only. To provide access
to other networks, create appropriate firewall policies between the software switch and other interfaces.
Configuring a FortiAP local bridge (private cloud-managed AP)
A FortiAP unit can provide WiFi access to a LAN, even when the wireless controller is located remotely. This
configuration is useful for the following situations:
l Installations where the WiFi controller is remote and most of the traffic is local or uses the local Internet gateway
l Wireless-PCI compliance with remote WiFi controller
l Telecommuting, where the FortiAP unit has the WiFi controller IP address pre-configured and broadcasts the office
SSID in the user’s home or hotel room. In this case, data is sent in the wireless tunnel across the Internet to the
office and you should enable encryption using DTLS.

Remotely-managed FortiAP providing WiFi access to local network
On the remote FortiGate wireless controller, the WiFi SSID is created with the Bridge with FortiAP Interface option
selected. In this mode, no IP addresses are configured. The WiFi and Ethernet interfaces on the FortiAP behave as a
switch. WiFi client devices obtain IP addresses from the same DHCP server as wired devices on the LAN.
The local bridge feature cannot be used in conjunction with Wireless Mesh features.
Block-Intra-SSID Traffic is available in Bridge mode. This is useful in hotspot deployments

managed by a central FortiGate, but would also be useful in cloud deployments. Previously,
this was only supported in Tunnel mode.
To configure a FortiAP local bridge - GUI
2. Enter:
Interface name A name for the new WiFi interface.
Traffic Mode Local bridge with FortiAP interface.
SSID The SSID visible to users.
Security Mode Configure security as you would for a regular WiFi network.
Data Encryption
Preshared Key

3. Select OK.
4. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and select the FortiAP unit for editing.
5. Authorize the FortiAP unit.
The FortiAP unit can carry regular SSIDs in addition to the Bridge SSID.
SSID configured for local bridge operation
To configure a FortiAP local bridge - CLI
This example creates a WiFi interface “branchbridge” with SSID “LANbridge” using WPA-Personal security, passphrase
“Fortinet1”.
edit "branchbridge"
set vdom "root"
set ssid "LANbridge"
end
set admin enable
set vaps "branchbridge"
end

Disabling local-bridging forcefully disables local-standalone. Also, disabling

either local-bridging or local-standalone forcefully disables intra-vap-
privacy.
Enabling intra-vap-privacy forcefully disables local-standalone.
Enabling local-standalone forcefully enables local-bridging.
Continued FortiAP operation when WiFi controller connection is down
The wireless controller, or the connection to it, might occasionally become unavailable. During such an outage, clients
already associated with a bridge mode FortiAP unit continue to have access to the WiFi and wired networks. Optionally,
the FortiAP unit can also continue to authenticate users if the SSID meets these conditions:
l Traffic Mode is Local bridge with FortiAP’s Interface.
In this mode, the FortiAP unit does not send traffic back to the wireless controller.
l Security Mode is WPA2 Personal.
These modes do not require the user database. In WPA2 Personal authentication, all clients use the same pre-
shared key which is known to the FortiAP unit.
l Allow New WiFi Client Connections When Controller is down is enabled.
This field is available only if the other conditions have been met.
The “LANbridge” SSID example would be configured like this in the CLI:
edit "branchbridge"
set vdom "root"
set ssid "LANbridge"
set local-authentication enable
end
Using bridged FortiAPs for increased scalability
The FortiGate wireless controller can support more FortiAP units in local bridge mode than in the normal mode. But this
is only true if you configure some of your FortiAP units to operate in remote mode, which supports only local bridge
mode SSIDs.
The Managed FortiAP page (WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs) shows at the top right the current
number of Managed FortiAPs and the maximum number that can be managed, “5/64” for example. The maximum
number, however, is true only if all FortiAP units operate in remote mode. For more detailed information, consult the
Maximum Values Table (in the Reference Manuals section). For each FortiGate model, there are two maximum values
for managed FortiAP units: the total number of FortiAPs and the number of FortiAPs that can operate in normal mode.

To configure FortiAP units for remote mode operation
1. Create at least one SSID with Traffic Mode set to Local bridge with FortiAP's Interface.
2. Create a custom AP profile that includes only local bridge SSIDs.
3. Configure each managed FortiAP unit to use the custom AP profile. You also need to set the FortiAP unit’s wtp-
mode to remote, which is possible only in the CLI. The following example uses the CLI both to set wtp-mode
and select the custom AP profile:
set wtp-mode remote
set wtp-profile 220B_bridge
end

Remote WLAN FortiAPs
Remote WLAN FortiAP models enable you to provide a pre-configured WiFi access point to a remote or traveling
employee. Once plugged in at home or in a hotel room, the FortiAP automatically discovers the enterprise FortiGate
WiFi controller over the Internet and broadcasts the same wireless SSID used in the corporate office. Communication
between the WiFi controller and the FortiAP is secure, eliminating the need for a VPN.
By default, all traffic from the remote FortiAP is sent to the FortiGate WiFi controller. If split tunneling is configured, only
traffic destined for the corporate office networks is routed to the FortiGate. Other general Internet traffic is routed
unencrypted through the local gateway. Split tunneling avoids loading the FortiGate with unnecessary traffic and allows
direct access to local private networks at the location of the FortiAP even if the connection to the WiFi controller goes
down.
Configuring the FortiGate for remote FortiAPs
This section assumes that you have already defined SSIDs and now want to make them available to remote FortiAPs.
l Create FortiAP profiles for the Remote LAN FortiAP models
l If split tunneling will be used
l configure override split tunneling in Managed FortiAPs
l enable split tunneling in the SSID
l configure the split tunnel networks in the FortiAP profile
To create FortiAP profiles
If you were not already using Remote LAN FortiAP models, you will need to create FortiAP profiles for them. In the
FortiAP profile, you specify the SSIDs that the FortiAP will broadcast. For more information, see Creating a FortiAP
profile on page 17.
To override split tunneling
Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and edit your managed APs. When preconfiguring the AP to
connect to your FortiGate WiFi controller, you can choose to override split tunneling, optionally including the local
subnet of the FortiAP.
To enable split tunneling options
By default, split tunneling options are not visible in the FortiGate GUI. You can make these options visible using the
following CLI command:
set gui-fortiap-split-tunneling enable
end

To configure split tunneling - FortiGate GUI
Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and edit your SSID. In the WiFi Settings section, enable Split Tunneling.
Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the FortiAP Profile(s) that apply to the AP types used in
the WiFi network. In the Split Tunneling section, enable Include Local Subnet and Split Tunneling Subnet(s),
where you can enter a list all of the destination IP address ranges that should not be routed through the FortiGate WiFi
controller. Packets for these destinations will instead be routed through the remote gateway local to the FortiAP.
The list of split tunneling subnets includes public Internet destinations and private subnets local to the FortiAP. Split
tunneling public Internet destinations reduces traffic through the FortiGate unit. Split tunneling local private subnets
allows these networks to be accessible to the client behind the FortiAP. Otherwise, private network IP destinations are
assumed to be behind the FortiGate WiFi controller.
To configure split tunneling - FortiGate CLI
In this example, split tunneling is configured on the example-ssid WiFi network. On FortiAP model 21D, traffic destined
for the 192.168.x.x range will not be routed through the FortiGate WiFi controller. This private IP address range is
typically used as a LAN by home routers.
edit example-ssid
set split-tunneling enable
end

edit FAP21D-default
set split-tunneling-acl-local-ap-subnet enable
config split-tunneling-acl
edit 1
set dest-ip 192.168.0.0 255.255.0.0
end
end
To enter multiple subnets, create a split-tunneling-acl entry for each one.
To override the split tunneling settings on a FortiAP
If the FortiAP Profile split tunneling settings are not appropriate for a particular FortiAP, you can override the settings on
that unit.
set override-split-tunnel enable
set split-tunneling-acl-local-ap-subnet enable
config split-tunneling-acl
edit 1
set dest-ip 192.168.10.0 255.255.255.0
end
end

Configuring a FortiAP unit
Prior to providing a remote WLAN FortiAP unit to an employee, you need to preconfigure the FortiAP to connect to your
FortiGate WiFi controller.
To pre-configure a FortiAP
1. Connect the FortiAP to the FortiGate unit.

2. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and wait for the FortiAP to be listed. Click Refresh
periodically to see the latest information. Note the Connected Via IP address.
3. Right click the row of the FortiAP that you want to connect to and then select >_ Connect to CLI.
The CLI Console window opens.
4. If the password prompt appears, then enter the required password. By default, no password is set.
5. Enter the following commands to set the FortiGate WiFi controller IP address. This IP address is the FortiGate
Internet-facing IP address, in this example 172.20.120.142.
cfg -a AC_IPADDR_1=172.20.120.142
cfg -c
6. To log out of the FortiAP CLI, enter exit.
7. To close the CLI Console window, click the X in the top right corner of the window.
Preauthorizing a FortiAP unit
By preauthorizing FortiAP units, you facilitate their automatic authorization on the network. Also, you can assign each
unit a unique name, such as the employee name, for easier tracking.
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs and create a new entry.
2. Enter the Serial Number of the FortiAP unit and give it a Name. Select the appropriate FortiAP Profile.
3. Click OK.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for each FortiAP.

Features for high-density deployments
High-density environments such as auditoriums, classrooms, and meeting rooms present a challenge to WiFi providers.
When a large number of mobile devices try to connect to a WiFi network, difficulties arise because of the limited number
of radio channels and interference between devices.
FortiOS and FortiAP devices provide several tools to mitigate the difficulties of high-density environments.
Performing the firmware upgrade of multiple FortiAPs
Administrators can perform the firmware upgrade of multiple FortiAPs in one click (under WiFi & Switch Controller >
Managed FortiAPs), removing the need to upgrade each device one at a time.
Controlling the power save feature
Occasionally, voice calls can become disrupted. One way to alleviate this issue is by controlling the power save feature,
or to disable it altogether.
Manually configure packet transmit optimization settings by entering the following command:
edit <name>
config <radio-1> | <radio-2>
set transmit-optimize {disable | power-save | aggr-limit | retry-limit | sendbar}
l disable: Disable transmit optimization.

l power-save: Mark a client as power save mode if excessive transmit retries happen.
l aggr-limit: Set aggregation limit to a lower value when data rate is low.
l retry-limit: Set software retry limit to a lower value when data rate is low.
l send-bar: Do not send BAR frame too often.
11n radio powersave optimization
The following powersave-optimize parameters (under config radio) are used for 11n radios to optimize
system performance for specific situations.
l tim: Set traffic indication map (TIM) bit for client in power save mode. TIM bit mask indicates to any sleeping
listening stations if the AP has any buffered frames present. If enabled, the AP will always indicate to the
connected client that there is a packet waiting in the AP, so it will help to prevent the client from entering a sleep
state.

l ac-vo: Use Access Category (AC) Voice (VO) priority to send packets in the power save queue. AC VO is one of the
highest classes/priority levels used to ensure quality of service (QoS). If enabled, when a client returns from a sleep
state, the AP will send its buffered packet using a higher priority queue, instead of the normal priority queue.
l no-obss-scan: Do not put Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS), or high-noise (i.e. non-802.11), scan IE into a
Beacon or Probe Response frame.
l no-11b-rate: Do not send frame using 11b data rate.
l client-rate-follow: Adapt transmitting PHY rate with receiving PHY rate from client. If enabled, the AP will
integrate the current client's transmission PHY rate into its rate adaptation algorithm for transmitting.
Configuring the broadcast packet suppression
You can use broadcast packet suppression to reduce the traffic on your WiFi networks. In addition, some broadcast
packets are unnecessary or even potentially detrimental to the network and should be suppressed. To configure
broadcast suppression for each virtual access point, enter the following commands:
edit <name>
set broadcast-suppression {dhcp-up | dhcp-down | dhcp-starvation | arp-known | arp-
unknown | arp-reply | arp-poison | arp-proxy | netbios-ns | netbios-ds | ipv6 | all-
other-mc | all-other-bc}
end
Option Description
dhcp-up Suppress DHCP discovery and request packets broadcast by WiFi clients. Forward
DHCP packets to the Ethernet uplink only. Prevent malicious WiFi clients from acting
as DHCP servers. Default setting.
dhcp-down Suppress DHCP packets broadcast by the Ethernet downlink to WiFi clients. Prevent
malicious WiFi clients from acting as DHCP servers.
dhcp-starvation Suppress DHCP starvation attacks from malicious WiFi clients. Prevent malicious WiFi
clients from depleting the DHCP address pool.
arp-known Suppress ARP request packets broadcast to known WiFi clients. Instead, forward ARP
packets as unicast packets to the known clients. Default setting.
arp-unknown Suppress ARP request packets broadcast to unknown WiFi clients.
arp-reply Suppress ARP reply packets broadcast by WiFi clients. Instead, forward the ARP
packets as unicast packets to the clients with target MAC addresses.
arp-poison Suppress ARP poison attacks from malicious WiFi clients. Prevent malicious WiFi
clients from spoofing ARP packets.

Option Description
arp-proxy Suppress ARP request packets broadcast by the Ethernet downlink to known WiFi
clients. Instead, send ARP reply packets to the Ethernet uplink, as a proxy for WiFi
clients.
The arp-known option must be set for arp-proxy to work.
netbios-ns Suppress NetBIOS name services packets with UDP port 137.
netbios-ds Suppress NetBIOS datagram services packets with UDP port 138.
ipv6 Suppress IPv6 broadcast packets.
all-other-mc Suppress multicast packets not covered by any of the specific options.
all-other-bc Suppress broadcast packets not covered by any of the specific options.
The default configuration enables both the dhcp-up and arp-known options. The following example leaves the
default settings in place and also configures a virtual access point to suppress:
l unnecessary DHCP down link broadcast packets
l broadcast ARP requests for unknown WiFi clients
l other broadcast packets not specifically identified
edit <name>
set broadcast-suppression dhcp-up arp-known dhcp-down arp-unknown all-other-bc
end
Converting multicast streams to unicast
FortiOS provides a multicast enhancement option (disabled by default) that converts multicast streams to unicast and
improves performance in WiFi networks. Multicast data, such as streaming audio or video, is sent at a low data rate in
WiFi networks. A unicast stream is sent to each client at high data rate that makes more efficient use of air time. To
enable multicast-to-unicast conversion, enter the following commands:
edit <vap_name>
set multicast-enhance enable
end
Ignoring weak or distant clients
Clients beyond the intended coverage area can have some impact on your high-density network. Your APs will respond
to these clients' probe signals, consuming valuable air time. You can configure your WiFi network to ignore weak signals
that most likely come from beyond the intended coverage area. The settings are available in the CLI:
edit <vap_name>
set probe-resp-suppression enable
set probe-resp-threshold <level_int>

end
vap_name is the SSID name.

probe-resp-threshold is the signal strength in dBm below which the client is ignored. The range is -95 to -20dBm. The
default level is -80dBm.
Turning off the 802.11b protocol
By disabling support for the obsolete 802.11b protocol, you can reduce the air time that data frames occupy. These
signals will now be sent at a minimum of 6 Mbps, instead of 1 Mbps. You can set this for each radio in the FortiAP
profile, using the CLI:
edit <name_string>
config radio-1
set powersave-optimize no-11b-rate
end
Disabling low data rates
Each of the 802.11 protocols supports several data rates. By disabling the lowest rates, air time is conserved, allowing
the channel to serve more users. You can set the available rates for each 802.11 protocol: a, b, g, n, ac. Data rates set
as Basic are mandatory for clients to support. Other specified rates are supported.
The 802.11 a, b, and g protocols are specified by data rate. 802.11a can support 6,9,12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mb/s.
802.11b/g can support 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9,12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mb/s. Basic rates are specified with the suffix "basic", "12-
basic" for example. The capabilities of expected client devices need to be considered when deciding the lowest Basic
rate.
The 802.11n and ac protocols are specified by the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) Index and the number of
spatial streams.
l 802.11n with 1 or 2 spatial streams can support mcs0/1, mcs1/1, mcs2/1, mcs3/1, mcs4/1, mcs5/1, mcs6/1,
mcs7/1,mcs8/2,mcs9/2, mcs10/2, mcs11/2, mcs12/2, mcs13/2, mcs14/2, mcs15/2.
l 802.11n with 3 or 4 spatial streams can support mcs16/3, mcs17/3, mcs18/3, mcs19/3, mcs20/3, mcs21/3,
mcs22/3, mcs23/3, mcs24/4, mcs25/4, mcs26/4, mcs27/4, mcs28/4, mcs29/4, mcs30/4, mcs31/4.
l 802.11ac with 1 or 2 spatial streams can support mcs0/1, mcs1/1, mcs2/1, mcs3/1, mcs4/1, mcs5/1, mcs6/1,
mcs7/1, mcs8/1, mcs9/1, mcs0/2, mcs1/2, mcs2/2, mcs3/2, mcs4/2, mcs5/2, mcs6/2, mcs7/2, mcs8/2, mcs9/2.
l 802.11ac with 3 or 4 spatial streams can support mcs0/3, mcs1/3, mcs2/3, mcs3/3, mcs4/3, mcs5/3, mcs6/3,
mcs7/3, mcs8/3, mcs9/3, mcs0/4, mcs1/4, mcs2/4, mcs3/4, mcs4/4, mcs5/4, mcs6/4, mcs7/4, mcs8/4, mcs9/4
Here are some examples of setting basic and supported rates.
edit <vap_name>
set rates-11a 12-basic 18 24 36 48 54
set rates-11bg 12-basic 18 24 36 48 54
set rates-11n-ss34 mcs16/3 mcs18/3 mcs20/3 mcs21/3 mcs22/3 mcs23/3 mcs24/4 mcs25/4
set rates-11ac-ss34 mcs0/3 mcs1/3 mcs2/3 mcs9/4 mcs9/3

end
Enabling the automatic TX power control
High-density deployments usually cover a small area that has many clients. Maximum AP signal power is usually not
required. Reducing the power reduces interference between APs. Fortinet recommends that you use FortiAP automatic
power control. You can set this in the FortiAP profile.
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the profile for your AP model.
2. For each radio, enable Auto TX Power Control and set the TX Power Low and TX Power High levels. The
default range of 10 to 17 dBm is recommended.
Enabling the frequency band load-balancing
In a high-density environment, it is important to make the best use of the two WiFi bands, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 5
GHz band has more non-overlapping channels and receives less interference from non-WiFi devices, but not all devices
support it. Clients that are capable of 5 GHz operation should be encouraged to use 5 GHz rather than the 2.4 GHz
band.
To load-balance the WiFi bands, you enable Frequency Handoff in the FortiAP profile. In the FortiGate GUI, go to WiFi
& Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the relevant profile to set Client Load Balancing to Frequency
Handoff. Or, you can use the CLI:
config radio-1
set frequency-handoff enable
end
The FortiGate WiFi controller continuously performs a scan of all clients in the area and records their signal strength
(RSSI) on each band. When Frequency Handoff is enabled, the AP does not reply to clients on the 2.4 GHz band that
have sufficient signal strength on the 5 GHz band. These clients can associate only on the 5 GHz band. Devices that
support only 2.4 GHz receive replies and associate with the AP on the 2.4 GHz band.
Setting the handoff RSSI threshold
The FortiAP applies load balancing to a client only if the client has a sufficient signal level on 5GHz. The minimum
signal strength threshold is set in the FortiAP profile, but is accessible only through the CLI:
set handoff-rssi 25
end
handoff-rssi has a range of 20 to 30. RSSI is a relative measure. The higher the number, the stronger the signal.

Enabling the AP load balancing
The performance of an AP is degraded if it attempts to serve too many clients. In high-density environments, multiple
access points are deployed with some overlap in their coverage areas. The WiFi controller can manage the association
of new clients with APs to prevent overloading.
To load-balance between APs, enable AP Handoff in the FortiAP profile. In the FortiGate GUI, go to WiFi & Switch
Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the relevant profile to set Client Load Balancing to AP Handoff. Or, you can
use the CLI:
config radio-1
set ap-handoff enable
end
When an AP exceeds the threshold (the default is 30 clients), the overloaded AP does not reply to a new client that has a
sufficient signal at another AP.
Setting the AP load balance threshold
The thresholds for AP handoff are set in the FortiAP profile, but is accessible only through the CLI:
set handoff-sta-thresh 30
set handoff-rssi 25
end
handoff-sta-thresh sets the number of clients at which AP load balancing begins. It has a range of 5 to 35.
handoff-rssi sets the minimum signal strength that a new client must have at an alternate AP for the overloaded
AP to ignore the client. It has a range of 20 to 30. RSSI is a relative measure. The higher the number, the stronger the
signal.
Setting the Application Control feature
To prevent particular application types from consuming too much bandwidth, you can use the FortiOS Application
Control feature.
1. Go to Security Profiles > Application Control. You can use the default profile or create a new one.
2. Click the category, select Traffic Shaping and then select the priority for the category.
Repeat for each category to be controlled.
3. Select Apply.
4. Go to Policy & Objects > IPv4 Policy and edit your WiFi security policy.
5. In Security Profiles, set Application Control ON and select the security profile that you edited.
6. Select OK.

Managing the FortiAP group and setting the dynamic VLAN

assignment
The FortiGate can create FortiAP Groups, under WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs by selecting
Create New > Managed AP Group, where multiple APs can be managed. AP grouping allows specific profile settings
to be applied to many APs all at once that belong to a certain AP group, simplifying the administrative workload.
Each AP can belong to one group only.
In addition, VLANs can be assigned dynamically based on the group which an AP belongs. When defining an SSID,
under WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID , a setting called VLAN Pooling can be enabled where you can either
assign the VLAN ID of the AP group the device is connected to, to each device as it is detected, or to always assign the
same VLAN ID to a specific device. Dynamic VLAN assignment allows the same SSID to be deployed to many APs,
avoiding the need to produce multiple SSIDs.
Sharing tunnel SSIDs within a single managed FortiAP
This feature provides the ability to move a tunnel mode virtual AP (VAP) into a VDOM, similar to an interface/VLAN in
VDOMs. FortiAP is registered into the root VDOM.
Within a customer VDOM, customer VAPs can be created or added. In the root VDOM, the customer VAP can be added
to the registered FortiAP. Any necessary firewall rules and interfaces can be configured between the two VDOMs.
Syntax

set wtp-share {enable | disable}
end
Enabling the manual quarantine of devices on FortiAP (tunnel

mode)
Quarantined MAC addresses are blocked on the connected FortiAP from the network and the LAN. When a tunnel
VAP is created, a sub-interface named wqtn is automatically created under tunnel interface. This sub-interface is added
under a software switch.
To quarantine an SSID, go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID . Edit the SSID, and enable Quarantine Host is
enabled under WiFi Settings.
Alternatively, you can quarantine an SSID using the CLI console. This feature consolidates previous CLI syntax for
quarantining a host, so that the host does not need to be configured in multiple places (FortiAP and FortiSwitch). Host
endpoints can be entered in a single place and the host will be quarantined throughout the access layer devices on the
Fortinet Security Fabric.

You can only quarantine an SSID that is in Tunnel Mode.
Syntax - SSID:

edit <name>
set quarantine {enable | disable}
next
end
Syntax - Software Switch, DHCP, and User Quarantine
config system switch-interface

edit "wqt.root"
set vdom "root"
set member "wqtn.26.AV-Qtn"
next
end

edit <id>
set interface "AV-Qtn"
config ip-range
edit <id>
set end-ip 10.111.0.254
next
...
config user quarantine

end
To list stations in quarantine, use the following diagnose command:

diagnose wireless-controller wlac -c sta-qtn
Enabling host quarantine per SSID
Upon creating or editing an SSID, a Quarantine Host option is available to enable (by default) or disable quarantining
devices that are connected in Tunnel-mode. The option to quarantine a device is available on Topology and FortiView
WiFi pages.
When a host is put into quarantine VLAN, it will get its IP from the quarantine VLAN's DHCP server, and become part of
the quarantined network.
Syntax

edit <name>

next
end
To list all stations in quarantine:

diagnose wireless-controller wlac -c sta-qtn
Locating a FortiAP with LED blinking
If you have an environment that contains numerous APs, and there is one AP that you need to frequently monitor, you
can configure it to blink in the FortiAP Cloud web portal. The blinking AP will be easier to locate.
To start or stop LED blinking of a managed FortiAP, using the GUI:

2. Right-click in the row of the device you want to control.
3. In the dialog box, scroll down to LED Blink and select Start or Stop.
The following models support LED blink control through the GUI, operating on FortiAP software 6.0.1, or later:
l FortiAP-112D, 221C, 223C, 224D, 320C, 321C
l FortiAP-S/W2
To start or stop LED blinking of a managed FortiAP, using the CLI:
execute wireless-controller led-blink <wtp-id> {on | on 10 | off}
The following models support LED blink control through the CLI, operating on FortiAP software 5.6.2, or later:
l FortiAP-112D, 221C, 223C, 224D, 320C, 321C
l FortiAP-S/W2
Uploading a FortiAP image on the wireless controller
Using the CLI to upgrade the FortiAP image is the preferred method especially for large deployments. Use the following
CLI command to upload the desired FortiAP image on the wireless controller:
execute wireless-controller upload-wtp-image
After entering the command, reboot the FortiAP devices. This feature allows the administrator to configure all FortiAP
devices to download the image from the controller at join time.
Syntax

set image-download {enable | disable}
end

To fine-tune this process, in order to deploy FortiAP image upgrades to a subset of devices for pilot testing, use the
following command:
edit <name>
set image-download {enable | disable}
next
end
Configuring control message off-loading
Users can configure control message off-loading to optimize performance. This is especially useful in environments
where the AP count is from 300 to 350 (with a device count between 1500 and 3000), where existing users are
disconnected and unable to reauthenticate due to high CPU usage. This feature includes aeroscout enhancements.
Syntax

set control-message-offload {evp-frame | areoscout-tag | ap-list | sta-list | sta-cap-list |
stats | aeroscout-mu}
end

edit <name>
set control-message-offload {enable | disable}
config lbs
set ekahau-blink-mode {enable | disable}
set aeroscout {enable | disable}
set aeroscout-server-ip <address>
set aeroscount-server-port <UDP listening port>
set aeroscout-mu {enable | disable}
end
end

Wireless network protection

l Wireless Intrusion Detection System on page 97
l WiFi data channel encryption on page 98
l Protected Management Frames and Opportunistic Key Caching support on page 99
l Bluetooth Low Energy scan on page 100
l Preventing local bridge traffic from reaching the LAN on page 101
l FortiAP-S bridge mode security profiles on page 101
l DHCP snooping and option-82 data insertion on page 102
Wireless Intrusion Detection System
The FortiGate Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS) monitors wireless traffic for a wide range of security threats
by detecting and reporting on possible intrusion attempts. When an attack is detected the FortiGate unit records a log
message.
You can create a WIDS profile to enable these types of intrusion detection:
l Asleap Attack—ASLEAP is a tool used to perform attacks against LEAP authentication.
l Association Frame Flooding—A Denial of Service attack using a large number of association requests. The default
detection threshold is 30 requests in 10 seconds.
l Authentication Frame Flooding—A Denial of Service attack using a large number of association requests. The
default detection threshold is 30 requests in 10 seconds.
l Broadcasting De-authentication—This is a type of Denial of Service attack. A flood of spoofed de-authentication
frames forces wireless clients to de-authenticate, then re-authenticate with their AP.
l EAPOL Packet Flooding—Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL) packets are used in WPA and
WPA2 authentication. Flooding the AP with these packets can be a denial of service attack. Several types of
EAPOL packets are detected: EAPOL-FAIL, EAPOL-LOGOFF, EAPOL-START, EAPOL-SUCC.
l Invalid MAC OUI—Some attackers use randomly-generated MAC addresses. The first three bytes of the MAC
address are the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), administered by IEEE. Invalid OUIs are logged.
l Long Duration Attack—To share radio bandwidth, WiFi devices reserve channels for brief periods of time.
Excessively long reservation periods can be used as a denial of service attack. You can set a threshold between
1000 and 32 767 microseconds. The default is 8200.
l Null SSID Probe Response—When a wireless client sends out a probe request, the attacker sends a response with
a null SSID. This causes many wireless cards and devices to stop responding.
l Spoofed De-authentication—Spoofed de-authentication frames are a denial of service attack. They cause all
clients to disconnect from the AP.
l Weak WEP IV Detection—A primary means of cracking WEP keys is by capturing 802.11 frames over an extended
period of time and searching for patterns of WEP initialization vectors (IVs) that are known to be weak. WIDS
detects known weak WEP IVs in on-air traffic.
l Wireless Bridge—WiFi frames with both the fromDS and ToDS fields set indicate a wireless bridge. This will also
detect a wireless bridge that you intentionally configured in your network.

You can enable wireless IDS by selecting a WIDS Profile in your FortiAP profile.
To create a WIDS Profile
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > WIDS Profiles.

2. Select a profile to edit or select Create New.
3. Select the types of intrusion to protect against.
By default, all types are selected.
4. Select Apply.
You can also configure a WIDS profile in the CLI using the config wireless-controller wids-profile
command.
Rogue AP detection
The WIDS profile includes settings for detection of unauthorized (rogue) access points in your wireless network. For
more information, see Wireless network monitoring on page 104.
WIDS client de-authentication rate for DoS attacks
As part of mitigating a Denial of Service (DoS) attack, the FortiGate sends de-authentication packets to unknown
clients. In an aggressive attack, this de-authentication activity can prevent the processing of packets from valid clients.
A WIDS Profile option in the CLI limits the de-authentication rate.
config wireless-controller wids-profile
edit default
set deauth-unknown-src-thresh <1-65535>
end
The value set is a measure of the number of de-authorizations per second. 0 means no limit. The default is 10.
WiFi data channel encryption
Optionally, you can apply DTLS encryption to the data channel between the wireless controller and FortiAP units to
enhance security.
There are data channel encryption settings on both the FortiGate unit and the FortiAP units. At both ends, you can
enable Clear Text, DTLS encryption, or both. The settings must agree or the FortiAP unit will not be able to join the WiFi
network. By default, both Clear Text and DTLS-encrypted communication are enabled on the FortiAP unit, allowing the
FortiGate setting to determine whether data channel encryption is used. If the FortiGate unit also enables both Clear
Text and DTLS, Clear Text is used.
Data channel encryption settings are located in the FortiAP profile. By default, only Clear Text is supported.
Data channel encryption is software-based and can affect performance. Verify that the system
meets your performance requirements with encryption enabled.

Configuring encryption on a FortiGate unit
You can use the CLI to configure data channel encryption.
To enable encryption
In the CLI, the wireless wtp-profile command contains a new field, dtls-policy, with options clear-
text and dtls-enabled. To enable encryption in profile1 for example, enter:
edit profile1
set dtls-policy dtls-enabled
end
Configuring encryption on a FortiAP unit
The FortiAP unit has its own settings for data channel encryption.
To enable CAPWAP encryption - FortiAP GUI

1. On the System Information page, in WTP Configuration > AC Data Channel Security, select one of:
l Clear Text
l DTLS Enabled
l Clear Text or DTLS Enabled (default)
2. Select Apply.
To enable encryption - FortiAP CLI

You can set the data channel encryption using the AP_DATA_CHAN_SEC variable: 'clear', or 'ipsec', or 'dtls'.
For example, to set security to DTLS and then save the setting, enter:
cfg -a AP_DATA_CHAN_SEC=dtls
cfg -c
Protected Management Frames and Opportunistic Key Caching

support
Protected Management Frames (PMF) protect some types of management frames like deauthorization, disassociation
and action frames. This feature, now mandatory on WiFi certified 802.1ac devices, prevents attackers from sending
plain deauthorization/disassociation frames to disrupt or tear down a connection/association. PMF is a Wi-Fi Alliance
specification based on IEEE 802.11w.
To facilitate faster client roaming, you can enable Opportunistic Key Caching (OKC) on your WiFi network. When a
client associates with an AP, its PMK identifier is sent to all other APs on the network. This eliminates the need for an
already-authenticated client to repeat the full EAP exchange process when it roams to another AP on the same network.
Use of PMF and OKC on an SSID is configurable only in the CLI:


edit <vap_name>
set pmf {disable | enable | optional}
set pmf-assoc-comeback-timeout <integer>
set pmf-sa-query-retry-timeout <integer>
set okc {disable | enable}
next
end
When pmf is set to optional, it is considered enabled, but will allow clients that do not use PMF. When pmf is set
to enable, PMF is required by all clients.
Bluetooth Low Energy scan
The FortiGate can configure FortiAP Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) scan, incorporating Google's BLE beacon profile
known as Eddystone, used to identify groups of devices and individual devices.
Only FAP-S221E, FAP-S223E, and FAP-222E models support this feature.
Use the following syntax to configure BLE profiles and BLE report intervals, and assign BLE profiles to WTP profiles.
Configure BLE profiles - CLI syntax
config wireless-controller ble-profile

edit <name>
set advertising {ibeacon | eddystone-uid | eddystone-url}
set ibeacon-uuid <uuid>
set major-id <0 - 65535> - (default = 1000)
set minor-id <0 - 65535> - (default = 1000)
set eddystone-namespace <10-byte namespace>
set eddystone-instance <device id>
set eddystone-url <url>
set txpower <0 - 12> - (default = 0)
set beacon-interval <40 - 3500> - (default = 100)
set ble-scanning {enable | disable} - (default = disable)
next
end
Note that txpower determines the transmit power level on a scale of 0-12:
0: -21 dBm 1: -18 dBm 2: -15 dBm 3: -12 dBm 4: -9 dBm

5: -6 dBm 6: -3 dBm 7: 0 dBm 8: 1 dBm 9: 2 dBm
10: 3 dBm 11: 4 dBm 12: 5 dBm

Configure BLE report intervals - CLI syntax

set ble-scan-report-intv - (default = 30 sec)
end
Assign BLE profiles to WTP profiles - CLI syntax

edit <name>
set ble-profile <name>
next
end
Preventing local bridge traffic from reaching the LAN
The following command can be enabled so that when a client connects to a VAP, and its traffic is not tunneled to the
controller, the admin can control whether the client can access the local network.
Note that this entry is only available when local-standalone-nat is set to enable.
Syntax:

edit <name>
set local-lan {allow | deny}
next
end
FortiAP-S bridge mode security profiles
If a bridge mode SSID is configured for a managed FortiAP-S (or smart FortiAP), you can add a security profile group to
the wireless controller configuration that allows you to apply the following security profile features to the traffic over the
bridge SSID:
l AntiVirus (including botnet protection)
l Intrusion Prevention
l Application Control
l Web Filter
Configure Security Profile Groups - GUI syntax
1. For this configuration to work, you must go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and enable the Security
profile group option on the bridge mode SSID assigned to the FortiAP Profile for your smart FortiAP.
2. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Security Profile Groups. Select Create New or edit the wifi-default
profile.
3. Enable or disable Logging.

4. Enable or disable Scan Botnets. This option is enabled by default. If you enable this option, select Blocked or
Monitor. The default is Monitor.
5. Under Security Profiles, you can enable or disable the AntiVirus, Web Filter, Application Control, and
Intrusion Prevention profiles. To view available profiles, click the down arrow. The defaults for these options are
wifi-default.
Configure Security Profile Groups - CLI syntax
You configure security profile groups on managed smart FortiAPs by using the config wireless-controller
utm-profile command. Then, you can assign a security profile group by using the set utm-profile command
under config wirelesscontroller vap, after local-bridging is set to enable.
Note that the default utm-profile, named wifi-default, has all applicable options within the command set to
wifi-default.
To view all available profiles that you can assign, type "?". For example, "set ips-sensor ?".
config wireless-controller utm-profile
edit <name>
set utm-log {enable | disable}
set ips-sensor <name>
set application-list <name>
set antivirus-profile <name>
set webfilter-profile <name>
set scan-botnet-connections {disable | block | monitor}
next
end

edit <name>
set utm-profile <name>
next
end
To debug the wireless-controller configurations related to security profile groups, use the following
diagnose command:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac_hlp
DHCP snooping and option-82 data insertion
Commands are available to enable or disable (by default) DHCP option-82 data insertion for wireless access points.
DHCP snooping is used to prevent rogue DHCP servers from offering IP addresses to DHCP clients.

Syntax
config wireless-controll vap

edit wifi
set dhcp-option82-insertion {enable | disable}
set dhcp-option82-circuit-id-insertion {style-1 | style-2 | disable}
set dhcp-option82-remote-id-insertion {style-1 | disable}
next
end

Wireless network monitoring

l Monitoring wireless clients on page 104
l Monitoring rogue APs on page 105
l Suppressing rogue APs on page 108
l Monitoring wireless network health on page 109
l Monitoring FortiAP with SNMP on page 110
Monitoring wireless clients
To view connected clients on a FortiGate or FortiWiFi unit
1. Go to Monitor > WiFi Client Monitor.

The following information is displayed on both the FortiGate and FortiWiFi units, unless otherwise specified:
SSID The SSID that the client is connected to.
FortiAP The serial number of the FortiAP unit to which the client connected.
User The user name associated with the device.
IP The IP address assigned to the wireless client.
MAC Address The MAC address of the device.

Note: This column is available on the FortiGate only.
Device
Channel WiFi radio channel in use.
Bandwidth Tx/Rx Client received and transmitted bandwidth, in Kbps.
Signal Strength / Noise The signal-to-noise ratio in decibels calculated from signal strength and noise
level.
Signal Strength
Association Time How long the client has been connected to this access point.
Results can be filtered. Select the filter icon on the column you want to filter. Enter the values to include.
If you want to exclude values, specify them and also select NOT.

Monitoring rogue APs
The access point radio equipment can scan for other available access points, either as a dedicated monitor or in idle
periods during AP operation.
Discovered access points are listed in Monitor > Rogue AP Monitor. You can then mark them as either Accepted or
Rogue access points. This designation helps you track access points. It does not affect anyone’s ability to use these
access points.
It is also possible to suppress rogue APs. See Suppressing rogue APs on page 108.
On-wire rogue AP detection technique
Other APs that are available in the same area as your own APs are not necessarily rogues. A neighboring AP that has no
connection to your network might cause interference, but it is not a security threat. A rogue AP is an unauthorized AP
connected to your wired network. This can enable unauthorized access. When rogue AP detection is enabled, the On-
wire column in the Rogue AP Monitor list shows a green up-arrow on detected rogues.
Rogue AP monitoring of WiFi client traffic builds a table of WiFi clients and the Access Points that they are
communicating through. The FortiGate unit also builds a table of MAC addresses that it sees on the LAN. The
FortiGate unit’s on-wire correlation engine constantly compares the MAC addresses seen on the LAN to the MAC
addresses seen on the WiFi network.
There are two methods of Rogue AP on-wire detection operating simultaneously: Exact MAC address match and MAC
adjacency.
Exact MAC address match
If the same MAC address is seen on the LAN and on the WiFi network, this means that the wireless client is connected
to the LAN. If the AP that the client is using is not authorized in the FortiGate unit configuration, that AP is deemed an
‘on-wire’ rogue. This scheme works for non-NAT rogue APs.
MAC adjacency
If an access point is also a router, it applies NAT to WiFi packets. This can make rogue detection more difficult.
However, an AP’s WiFi interface MAC address is usually in the same range as its wired MAC address. So, the MAC
adjacency rogue detection method matches LAN and WiFi network MAC addresses that are within a defined numerical
distance of each other. By default, the MAC adjacency value is 7. If the AP for these matching MAC addresses is not
authorized in the FortiGate unit configuration, that AP is deemed an ‘on-wire’ rogue.
Limitations
On-wire rogue detection has some limitations. There must be at least one WiFi client connected to the suspect AP and
continuously sending traffic. If the suspect AP is a router, its WiFi MAC address must be very similar to its Ethernet port
MAC address.

Logging
Information about detected rogue APs is logged and uploaded to your FortiAnalyzer unit, if you have one. By default,
rogue APs generate an alert level log, unknown APs generate a warning level log. This log information can help you with
PCI-DSS compliance requirements.
Rogue AP scanning as a background activity
Each WiFi radio can perform monitoring of radio channels in its operating band while acting as an AP. It does this by
briefly switching from AP to monitoring mode. By default, a scan period starts every 300 seconds. Each second a
different channel is monitored for 20ms until all channels have been checked.
During heavy AP traffic, it is possible for Spectrum Analysis background scanning to cause lost packets when the radio
switches to monitoring. To reduce the probability of lost packets, you can set the CLI ap-bgscan-idle field to delay
the switch to monitoring until the AP has been idle for a specified period. This means that heavy AP traffic may slow
background scanning.
The following CLI example configures default background rogue scanning operation except that it sets ap-bgscan-
idle to require 100ms of AP inactivity before scanning the next channel.
edit ourprofile
config radio-1
set wids-profile ourwidsprofile
set spectrum-analysis enable
end
end
edit ourwidsprofile
set ap-scan enable
set rogue-scan enable
set ap-bgscan-period 300
set ap-bgscan-intv 1
set ap-bgscan-duration 20
set ap-bgscan-idle 100
end
Configuring rogue scanning
All APs using the same FortiAP Profile share the same rogue scanning settings, unless override is configured.
To enable rogue AP scanning with on-wire detection - GUI

2. Select an existing WIDS Profile and edit it, or select Create New.
3. Make sure that Enable Rogue AP Detection is selected.
4. Select Enable On-Wire Rogue AP Detection.
5. Optionally, enable Auto Suppress Rogue APs in Foreground Scan.
6. Select OK.

To enable the rogue AP scanning feature in a custom AP profile - CLI

edit FAP220B-default
set ap-scan enable
set rogue-scan enable
end
Exempting an AP from rogue scanning
By default, if Rogue AP Detection is enabled, it is enabled on all managed FortiAP units. Optionally, you can exempt an
AP from scanning. You should be careful about doing this if your organization must perform scanning to meet PCI-DSS
requirements.
To exempt an AP from rogue scanning

2. Create a new WIDS profile and disable Rogue AP detection.
3. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the profile you wish to exempt from rogue
scanning.
4. Assign the WIDS profile created in step 2.
MAC adjacency
You can adjust the maximum WiFi to Ethernet MAC difference used when determining whether a suspect AP is a rogue.
To adjust MAC adjacency
For example, to change the adjacency to 8, enter

set rogue-scan-mac-adjacency 8
end
Using the Rogue AP Monitor
To view the list of other wireless access points that are receivable at your location, go to Monitor > Rogue AP
Monitor.
Information Columns
Actual columns displayed depends on Column Settings.

State Rogue AP — Use this status for unauthorized APs that On-wire status
indicates are attached to your wired networks.
Accepted AP — Use this status for APs that are an authorized part of your
network or are neighboring APs that are not a security threat. To see
accepted APs in the list, select Show Accepted.
Unclassified — This is the initial status of a discovered AP. You can change
an AP back to unclassified if you have mistakenly marked it as Rogue or
Accepted.
Online Status Active AP
Inactive AP
Active ad-hoc WiFi device
Inactive ad-hoc WiFi device
SSID The wireless service set identifier (SSID) or network name for the wireless
interface.
Security Type The type of security currently being used.
Channel The wireless radio channel that the access point uses.
MAC Address The MAC address of the Wireless interface.
Vendor Info The name of the vendor.
Signal Strength The relative signal strength of the AP. Mouse over the symbol to view the signal-
to-noise ratio.
Detected By The name or serial number of the AP unit that detected the signal.
On-wire A green up-arrow indicates a suspected rogue, based on the on-wire detection
technique. A red down-arrow indicates AP is not a suspected rogue.
First Seen How long ago this AP was first detected.
Last Seen How long ago this AP was last detected.
Rate Data rate in bps.
To change the Online Status of an AP, right-click that AP and select Mark Accepted or Mark Rogue.
Suppressing rogue APs
In addition to monitoring rogue APs, you can actively prevent your users from connecting to them. When suppression is
activated against an AP, the FortiGate WiFi controller sends deauthentication messages to the rogue AP’s clients,
posing as the rogue AP, and also sends deauthentication messages to the rogue AP, posing as its clients. This is done
using the monitoring radio.

Before enabling this feature, verify that operation of Rogue Suppression is compliant with the
applicable laws and regulations of your region.
To enable rogue AP suppression, you must enable monitoring of rogue APs with the on-wire detection technique (see
Configuring rogue scanning on page 106). The monitoring radio must be in the Dedicated Monitor mode.
To activate AP suppression against a rogue AP
1. Go to Monitor > Rogue AP Monitor.

2. When you see an AP listed that is a rogue detected “on-wire”, select it and then select Mark > Mark Rogue.
3. To suppress an AP that is marked as a rogue, select it and then select Suppress AP.
To deactivate AP suppression
1. Go to Monitor > Rogue AP Monitor.

2. Select the suppressed rogue AP and then select Suppress AP > Unsuppress AP.
Monitoring wireless network health
To view the wireless health dashboard, go to Monitor > WiFi Health Monitor.
The wireless health dashboard provides a comprehensive view of the health of your network’s wireless infrastructure.
The dashboard includes widgets to display:
l AP Status
Active, Down or missing, up for over 24 hours, rebooted in past 24 hours
l Client Count Over Time
Viewable for past hour, day, or 30 days
l Top Client Count Per-AP
Separate widgets for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands
l Top Wireless Interference
Separate widgets for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, requires spectrum analysis to be enabled on the radios
l Login Failures
The time, SSID, host name, and username for failed login attempts. The widget also displays the AP name and AP
group of FortiAP units with failed login attempts.
l WiFi Channel Utilization
Three views allowing users to view top 10-20 most and least utilized channels for each AP radio and a third
histogram view showing counts for utilization
The list of active clients also shows MAC address entries (similar to the WiFi Client Monitor page), making client
information easy to view when opening the Active Client widget.

Monitoring FortiAP with SNMP
FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2 version 6.2.0 and later support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) queries and
trap messages based on wireless-controller SNMP settings configured on FortiGate.
FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2 support all SNMP versions (v1, v2, and v3).
The local standalone mode does not support FortiAP direct SNMP.
The SNMP manager requires the following management information base (MIB) files:
l FortiAP MIB
l Fortinet Core MIB
Downloading the FortiAP MIB and Fortinet Core MIB files
To download the FortiAP SNMP MIB and Fortinet Core MIB files, perform the following steps:
1. Go to the Fortinet Support website.
2. Log in to your account. If you do not have an account, create one and then log in.
3. From the top banner, select Download > Firmware images.
4. From the Select Product list, select FortiAP-S or FortiAP-W2, as applicable.
5. Click the Download tab.
6. Locate the v6.00 folder (or later) and then the 6.2 (or later) folder to match the firmware release running on your
FortiAP-S or FortiAP-W2 device.
7. Navigate through the folders to find and then download the FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB-buildxxxx.mib file.
8. From the Select Product list, select FortiGate.
9. Locate the v6.00 folder (or later) and then 6.2 (or later) folder to match the firmware release running on your
FortiGate device.
10. Navigate through the folders to find and then download the FORTINET-CORE-MIB-buildxxxx.mib file.
11. You can load the MIB files into your SNMP manager.
FortiAP SNMP trap messages
FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2 can send the following trap messages to an SNMP manager or trap receiver:
Trap message Description
fapDevUp The specified FortiAP device is up.
fapCpuOverload The CPU usage of the specified FortiAP has exceeded the configured threshold.
fapMemOverload The memory usage of the specified FortiAP has exceeded the configured
threshold.
fapDevDown The specified FortiAP device is down.
fapAcConnected FortiAP has connected to the specified AP controller (AC).

FortiAP SNMP queries
From your SNMP manager, you can use the SNMP GET and SNMP WALK commands to query FortiAP for status
information, variables values, SSID configuration, radio configuration, and so on. You can also use the SNMP SET
command to configure local FortiAP variables.
Here is an example of polling FortiAP data using the snmpwalk command from a Linux OS computer:
$ snmpwalk -v2c -c public 10.0.28.2 .1
SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: FortiAP-S223E
SNMPv2-MIB::sysObjectID.0 = OID: FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapHostName
DISMAN-EXPRESSION-MIB::sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (27486) 0:04:34.86
SNMPv2-MIB::sysContact.0 = STRING: avizzari@fortinet.com
SNMPv2-MIB::sysName.0 = STRING: FortiAP-S223E
SNMPv2-MIB::sysLocation.0 = STRING: N/A
IF-MIB::ifNumber.0 = INTEGER: 25
...
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapVersion.0 = STRING: PS223E-v6.2-build0229
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapSerialNum.0 = STRING: PS223E3X170000001
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapHostName.0 = STRING: FortiAP-S223E
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapRegionCode.0 = STRING: E
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapBaseMacAddr.0 = STRING: 70:4c:a5:43:7b:8
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapBiosVer.0 = STRING: 04000002
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapBiosDataVer.0 = INTEGER: 3
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapSysPartNum.0 = STRING: 20155-03
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpWanMode.0 = INTEGER: wanOnly(0)
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpApAddrMode.0 = INTEGER: dhcp(0)
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpApIpAddr.0 = STRING: "192.168.1.2"
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpApIpNetmask.0 = STRING: "255.255.255.0"
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpApIpGateway.0 = STRING: "192.168.1.1"
FORTINET-FORTIAP-MIB::fapWtpApMode.0 = INTEGER: thinAp(0)
...

Wireless network examples

l Basic wireless network example on page 112
l Complex wireless network example on page 117
Basic wireless network example
This example uses automatic configuration to set up a basic wireless network.

To configure this wireless network, perform the following tasks:
l Configuring authentication for wireless users on page 112
l Configuring the SSID on page 113
l Adding the SSID to the FortiAP Profile on page 114
l Configuring security policies on page 114
l Connecting the FortiAP units on page 115
Configuring authentication for wireless users
You need to configure user accounts and add the users to a user group. This example shows only one account, but
multiple accounts can be added as user group members.
To configure a WiFi user - GUI
1. Go to User & Device > User Definition and select Create New.

2. Select Local User and then click Next.
3. Enter a User Name and Password and then click Next.
4. Click Next.
5. Make sure that Enable is selected and then click Create.
To configure the WiFi user group - GUI
1. Go to User & Device > User Groups and select Create New.

2. Enter the following information and then select OK:
Name wlan_users
Type Firewall
Members Add users.

To configure a WiFi user and the WiFi user group - CLI
config user user

edit "user01"
set type password
set passwd "asdf12ghjk"
end
config user group
edit "wlan_users"
set member "user01"
end
Configuring the SSID
First, establish the SSID (network interface) for the network. This is independent of the number of physical access
points that will be deployed. The network assigns IP addresses using DHCP.
To configure the SSID - GUI
2. Enter the following information and select OK:
Interface Name example_wifi_if
IP/Network Mask 10.10.110.1/24
Administrative Access Ping (to assist with testing)
DHCP Server Enable
Address Range 10.10.110.2 - 10.10.110.199
Netmask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway Same As Interface IP
DNS Server Same as System DNS
SSID example_wifi
Security Mode WPA2 Enterprise
Authentication Local, select wlan_users user group.
Leave other settings at their default values.
To configure the SSID - CLI

edit example_wifi_if
set ssid "example_wifi"
set broadcast-ssid enable
set security wpa-enterprise
set auth usergroup
set usergroup wlan_users

set schedule always

end
edit example_wifi_if
set ip 10.10.110.1 255.255.255.0
end
edit 0
set interface "example_wifi_if"
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 10.10.110.199
end
end
Adding the SSID to the FortiAP Profile
The radio portion of the FortiAP configuration is contained in the FortiAP Profile. By default, there is a profile for each
platform (FortiAP model). You can create additional profiles if needed. The SSID needs to be specified in the profile.
To add the SSID to the FortiAP Profile - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and edit the profile for your model of FortiAP unit.
2. In Radio 1 and Radio 2, add example_wifi in SSID.
3. Select OK.
Configuring security policies
A security policy is needed to enable WiFi users to access the Internet on port1. First you create firewall address for the
WiFi network, then you create the example_wifi to port1 policy.
To create a firewall address for WiFi users - GUI

2. Select Create New > Address, enter the following information and select OK.
Name wlan_user_net
Type IP/Netmask
Subnet / IP Range 10.10.110.0/24
Interface example_wifi_if
Show in Address List Enabled

To create a firewall address for WiFi users - CLI
config firewall address

edit "wlan_user_net"
set associated-interface "example_wifi_if"
set subnet 10.10.110.0 255.255.255.0
end
To create a security policy for WiFi users - GUI
1. Go to Policy & Objects > IPv4 Policyand select Create New.

Incoming Interface example_wifi_if
Source Address wlan_user_net
Outgoing Interface port1
Destination Address All
Schedule always
Service ALL
Action ACCEPT
NAT ON. Select Use Destination Interface Address (default).
To create a firewall policy for WiFi users - CLI

edit 0
set srcintf "example_wifi"
set dstintf "port1"
set srcaddr "wlan_user_net"
set dstaddr "all"
set schedule always
set service ALL
set action accept
set nat enable
end
Connecting the FortiAP units
You need to connect each FortiAP unit to the FortiGate unit, wait for it to be recognized, and then assign it to the AP
Profile. But first, you must configure the interface to which the FortiAP units connect and the DHCP server that assigns
their IP addresses.
In this example, the FortiAP units connect to port 3 and are controlled through IP addresses on the 192.168.8.0/24
network.

1. Go to Network > Interfaces and edit the port3 interface.

2. Set the Addressing mode to Dedicated to Extension Device and set the IP/Network Mask to
192.168.8.1/255.255.255.0.
3. Select OK.
This procedure automatically configures a DHCP server for the AP units.

edit port3
set mode static
set ip 192.168.8.1 255.255.255.0
end
To configure the DHCP server for AP units - CLI

edit 0
set interface port3
config exclude-range
edit 1
set end-ip 192.168.8.1
end
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 192.168.8.254
end
end
To connect a FortiAP unit - GUI

2. Connect the FortiAP unit to port 3.
3. Periodically select Refresh while waiting for the FortiAP unit to be listed.
Recognition of the FortiAP unit can take up to two minutes.
If FortiAP units are connected but cannot be recognized, try disabling VCI-Match in the DHCP server settings.
4. When the FortiAP unit is listed, select the entry to edit it.
The Edit Managed Access Point window opens.
5. In State, select Authorize.
6. In FortiAP Profile, select the default profile for the FortiAP model.
7. Select OK.
8. Repeat Steps 2 through 7 for each FortiAP unit.

To connect a FortiAP unit - CLI

2. Enter
3. Wait 30 seconds, then enter get.
4. Retry the get command every 15 seconds or so until the unit is listed, like this:
== [ FAP22B3U10600118 ]
wtp-id: FAP22B3U10600118
5. Edit the discovered FortiAP unit like this:
set admin enable
end
Complex wireless network example
This example creates multiple networks and uses custom AP profiles.
Scenario example
In this example, Example Co. provides two wireless networks, one for its employees and the other for customers or
other guests of its business. Guest users have access only to the Internet, not to the company’s private network. The
equipment for these WiFi networks consists of FortiAP-220B units controlled by a FortiGate unit.
The employee network operates in 802.11n mode on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Client IP addresses are in the
10.10.120.0/24 subnet, with 10.10.120.1 the IP address of the WAP. The guest network also operates in 802.11n
mode, but only on the 2.4 GHz band. Client IP addresses are on the 10.10.115.0/24 subnet, with 10.10.115.1 the IP
address of the WAP.
On FortiAP-220B units, the 802.11n mode also supports 802.11g and 802.11b clients on the 2.4 GHz band and 802.11a
clients on the 5 GHz band.
The guest network WAP broadcasts its SSID, the employee network WAP does not.
The employee network uses WPA-Enterprise authentication through a FortiGate user group. The guest network
features a captive portal. When a guest first tries to connect to the Internet, a login page requests logon credentials.
Guests use numbered guest accounts authenticated by RADIUS. The captive portal for the guests includes a disclaimer
page.
In this example, the FortiAP units connect to port 3 and are assigned addresses on the 192.168.8.0/24 subnet.
Configuration example
To configure these wireless networks, perform the following tasks:

l Configuring authentication for employee wireless users on page 118

l Configuring authentication for guest wireless users on page 118
l Configuring the SSIDs on page 120
l Configuring the FortiAP profile on page 122
l Configuring firewall policies on page 123
l Connecting the FortiAP units on page 125
Configuring authentication for employee wireless users
Employees have user accounts on the FortiGate unit. This example shows creation of one user account, but you can
create multiple accounts and add them as members to the user group.
To configure a WiFi user - GUI
1. Go to User & Device > User Definition and select Create New.

2. Select Local User and then click Next.
3. Enter a User Name and Password and then click Next.
4. Click Next.
5. Make sure that Enable is selected and then click Create.
To configure the user group for employee access - GUI

Name employee-group
Type Firewall
Members Add users.
To configure a WiFi user and the user group for employee access - CLI
config user user

edit "user01"
set type password
set passwd "asdf12ghjk"
end
config user group
edit "employee-group"
set member "user01"
end
The user authentication setup will be complete when you select the employee-group in the SSID configuration.
Configuring authentication for guest wireless users
Guests are assigned temporary user accounts created on a RADIUS server. The RADIUS server stores each user’s
group name in the Fortinet-Group-Name attribute. Wireless users are in the group named “wireless”.

The FortiGate unit must be configured to access the RADIUS server.
To configure the FortiGate unit to access the guest RADIUS server - GUI

Name guestRADIUS
Primary Server IP/Name 10.11.102.100
Primary Server Secret grikfwpfdfg
Secondary Server IP/Name Optional
Secondary Server Secret Optional
Authentication Scheme Use default, unless server requires otherwise.
To configure the FortiGate unit to access the guest RADIUS server - CLI
config user radius

edit guestRADIUS
set auth-type auto
set server 10.11.102.100
set secret grikfwpfdfg
end
To configure the user group for guest access - GUI

Name guest-group
Type Firewall
Members Leave empty.
3. Select Create new.

4. Enter:
Remote Server Select guestRADIUS.
Groups Select wireless.
5. Select OK.
To configure the user group for guest access - CLI
config user group

edit "guest-group"
set member "guestRADIUS"
config match
edit 0

set server-name "guestRADIUS"

set group-name "wireless"
end
end
The user authentication setup will be complete when you select the guest-group user group in the SSID configuration.
Configuring the SSIDs
First, establish the SSIDs (network interfaces) for the employee and guest networks. This is independent of the number
of physical access points that will be deployed. Both networks assign IP addresses using DHCP.
To configure the employee SSID - GUI
Interface Name example_inc
IP/Netmask 10.10.120.1/24
Enable DHCP Enable
Address Range 10.10.120.2 - 10.10.120.199
Netmask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway Same As Interface IP
SSID example_inc
Security Mode WPA/WPA2-Enterprise
Authentication Select Local, then select employee-group.
To configure the employee SSID - CLI

edit example_inc
set ssid "example_inc"
set security wpa-enterprise
set auth usergroup
set usergroup employee-group
set schedule always
end
edit example_inc
set ip 10.10.120.1 255.255.255.0
end

edit 0
set interface example_inc
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 10.10.120.199
end
set lease-time 7200
end
To configure the example_guest SSID - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > SSID and select Create New.

Name example_guest
IP/Netmask 10.10.115.1/24
Enable DHCP Enable
Address Range 10.10.115.2 - 10.10.115.50
Netmask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway Same as Interface IP
SSID example_guest
Security Mode Captive Portal
Portal Type Authentication
Authentication Portal Local
User Groups Select guest-group.
To configure the example_guest SSID - CLI

edit example_guest
set ssid "example_guest"
set security captive-portal
set selected-usergroups guest-group
set schedule always
end
edit example_guest
set ip 10.10.115.1 255.255.255.0
end


edit 0
set interface "example_guest"
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 10.10.115.50
end
set lease-time 7200
end
Configuring the FortiAP profile
The FortiAP Profile defines the radio settings for the networks. The profile provides access to both Radio 1 (2.4 GHz)
and Radio 2 (5 GHz) for the employee virtual AP, but provides access only to Radio 1 for the guest virtual AP.
To configure the FortiAP Profile - GUI
1. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and select Create New.

Name example_AP
Platform FAP220B
Radio 1
Mode Access Point
Band 802.11n
Channel Select 1, 6, and 11.
Tx Power 100%
SSID Select SSIDs and select example_inc and example_guest.

Radio 2
Mode Access Point
Band 802.11n_5G
Channel Select all.
Tx Power 100%
SSID Select SSIDs and select example_inc.
To configure the AP Profile - CLI

edit "example_AP"
config platform

set type 220B

end
config radio-1
set ap-bgscan enable
set band 802.11n
set channel "1" "6" "11"
set vaps "example_inc" "example_guest"
end
config radio-2
set ap-bgscan enable
set band 802.11n-5G
set channel "36" "40" "44" "48" "149" "153" "157" "161" "165"
set vaps "example_inc"
end
Configuring firewall policies
Identity-based firewall policies are needed to enable the WLAN users to access the Internet on Port1. First you create
firewall addresses for employee and guest users, then you create the firewall policies.
To create firewall addresses for employee and guest WiFi users

Address Name employee-wifi-net
Type Subnet / IP Range
Interface example_inc
Address Name guest-wifi-net
Type Subnet / IP Range
Interface example_guest
To create firewall policies for employee WiFi users - GUI

Incoming Interface example_inc
Source Address employee-wifi-net

Destination Address all
Schedule always
Service ALL
Action ACCEPT
NAT Enable NAT
3. Optionally, select security profile for wireless users.

4. Select OK.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 but select Internal as the Destination Interface/Zone to provide access to the ExampleCo
private network.
To create firewall policies for employee WiFi users - CLI

edit 0
set srcintf "employee_inc"
set dstintf "port1"
set srcaddr "employee-wifi-net"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set service "ANY"
set nat enable
set service "ANY"
next
edit 0
set srcintf "employee_inc"
set dstintf "internal"
set srcaddr "employee-wifi-net"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set service "ANY"
set nat enable
set service "ANY"
end
To create a firewall policy for guest WiFi users - GUI

Incoming Interface example_guest
Source Address guest-wifi-net

Schedule always
Service ALL
Action ACCEPT
NAT Enable NAT
3. Optionally, select UTM and set up UTM features for wireless users.
4. Select OK.
To create a firewall policy for guest WiFi users - CLI

edit 0
set srcintf "example_guest"
set dstintf "port1"
set srcaddr "guest-wifi-net"
set dstaddr "all"
set action accept
set service "ANY"
set nat enable
end
Connecting the FortiAP units
You need to connect each FortiAP-220A unit to the FortiGate unit, wait for it to be recognized, and then assign it to the
AP Profile. But first, you must configure the interface to which the FortiAP units connect and the DHCP server that
assigns their IP addresses.
In this example, the FortiAP units connect to port 3 and are controlled through IP addresses on the 192.168.8.0/24
network.
1. Go to Network > Interfaces and edit the port3 interface.

2. Set the Addressing mode to Dedicated to Extension Device and set the IP/Netmask to
192.168.8.1/255.255.255.0.
This step automatically configures a DHCP server for the AP units.
3. Select OK.

edit port3
set mode static
set ip 192.168.8.1 255.255.255.0
end
To configure the DHCP server for AP units - CLI

edit 0
set interface port3
config ip-range
edit 1
set end-ip 192.168.8.9
end
end
To connect a FortiAP-220A unit - GUI

3. Periodically select Refresh while waiting for the FortiAP unit to be listed.
Recognition of the FortiAP unit can take up to two minutes.
If there is persistent difficulty recognizing FortiAP units, try disabling VCI-Match in the DHCP server settings.
4. When the FortiAP unit is listed, select the entry to edit it.
The Edit Managed Access Point window opens.
5. In State, select Authorize.
6. In the AP Profile, select [Change] and then select the example_AP profile.
7. Select OK.
To connect a FortiAP-220A unit - CLI

2. Enter:
3. Wait 30 seconds, then enter get.
4. Retry the get command every 15 seconds or so until the unit is listed, like this:
== [ FAP22A3U10600118 ]
wtp-id: FAP22A3U10600118
5. Edit the discovered FortiAP unit like this:
set admin enable
set wtp-profile example_AP
end

FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client
A FortiWiFi unit operates by default as a wireless access point. But a FortiWiFi unit can also operate as a wireless client,
connecting the FortiGate to another wireless network.
l FortiWiFi unit in client mode
l Configuring a FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client
FortiWiFi unit in client mode
In client mode, the FortiWiFi unit connects to a remote WiFi access point to access other networks or the Internet. This
is most useful when the FortiWiFi unit is in a location that does not have a wired infrastructure.
For example, in a warehouse where shipping and receiving are on opposite sides of the building, running cables might
not be an option due to the warehouse environment. The FortiWiFi unit can support wired users using its Ethernet ports
and can connect to another wireless access point as a client. This connects the wired users to the network using the
802.11 WiFi standard as a backbone.
In client mode, the FortiWiFi unit cannot operate as an AP. WiFi clients cannot see or connect to the FortiWiFi unit in
client mode.
FortiWiFi unit in client mode

Configuring a FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client
To set up the FortiWiFi unit as a wireless client, you must use the CLI. Before you do this, make sure to remove any AP
WiFi configurations such as SSIDs, DHCP servers, and policies.
To configure wireless client mode
1. Change the wireless mode to client. In the CLI, enter the following commands:
set wireless-mode client
end
2. Respond “y” when asked if you want to continue. The FortiWiFi unit reboots.
3. Configure the WiFi interface settings.
For example, to configure the client for WPA-Personal authentication on the our_wifi SSID with passphrase
justforus, enter the following in the CLI:
edit wifi
set mode dhcp
config wifi-networks
edit 0
set wifi-ssid our_wifi
set wifi-security wpa-personal
set wifi-passphrase "justforus"
end
end
The WiFi interface client_wifi receives an IP address using DHCP.

4. Configure a WiFi to port1 policy.
You can use either CLI or GUI to do this. The important settings are:
Incoming Interface (srcintf) wifi
Source Address (srcaddr) all
Outgoing Interface (dstintf) port1

(dstaddr)
Schedule always
Service ALL
Action ACCEPT
Enable NAT Selected
Controlled AP selection support in FortiWiFi client mode
Use the following CLI commands to provide a more controlled AP selection method (supported in FortiWiFi client
mode).

Syntax

edit {name}
set wifi-ap-band {any | 5g-preferred | 5g-only}
next
end

Support for location-based services
FortiOS supports location-based services by collecting information about WiFi devices near FortiGate-managed access
points, even if the devices do not associate with the network.
WiFi devices broadcast packets as they search for available networks. The FortiGate WiFi controller can collect
information about the interval, duration, and signal strength of these packets. The Euclid Analytics service uses this
information to track the movements of the device owner. A typical application of this technology is to analyze shopper
behavior in a shopping center. Which stores do people walk past? Which window displays do they stop to look at? Which
stores do they enter and how long do they spend there? The shoppers are not personally identified, each is known only
by the MAC address of their WiFi device.
After enabling location tracking on the FortiGate unit, you can confirm that the feature is working by using a specialized
diagnostic command to view the raw tracking data. The Euclid Analytics service obtains the same data in its proprietary
format using a JSON inquiry through the FortiGate GUI interface.
Configuring location tracking
You can enable location tracking in any FortiAP profile, using the CLI. Location tracking is part of location-based
services. Set the station-locate field to enable. For example:
edit "FAP220B-locate"
set ap-country US
config platform
set type 220B
end
config lbs
set station-locate enable
end
end
Automatic deletion of outdated presence data
The FortiGate generates a log entry only the first time that station-locate detects a mobile client. No log is generated for
clients that have been detected before. To log repeat client visits, previous station presence data must be deleted
(flushed). The sta-locate-timer can flush this data periodically. The default period is 1800 seconds (30 minutes). The
timer can be set to any value between 1 and 86400 seconds (24 hours). A setting of 0 disables the flush, meaning a
client is logged only on the very first visit.
The timer is one of the wireless controller timers and it can be set in the CLI. For example:
set sta-locate-timer 1800
end
To avoid the duplication of logs, set the sta-locate-timer value to be more that the sta-capability-timer value (default 30
seconds).

FortiPresence push REST API
When the FortiGate is located on a private IP network, the FortiPresence server cannot poll the FortiGate for
information. Instead, the FortiGate must be configured to push the information to the FortiPresence server.
Enter the following command:
edit "FP223B-GuestWiFi"
config lbs
set fortipresence {enable | disable}
set fortipresence-server <ip-address> Default is 3000.
set fortipresence-port <port>
set fortipresence-secret <password>
set fortipresence-project <name>
set fortipresence-frequency <5-65535> Default is 30.
set fortipresence-rogue {enable | disable} Enable/disable reporting of Rogue APs.
set fortipresence-unassoc {enable | disable} Enable/disable reporting of unassociated
devices.
end
end
Viewing device location data on a FortiGate unit
You can use the FortiGate CLI to list located devices. This is mainly useful to confirm that the location data feature is
working, You can also reset device location data.
To list located devices
diag wireless-controller wlac -c sta-locate
To reset device location data
diag wireless-controller wlac -c sta-locate-reset
Example output
The following output shows data for three WiFi devices.

FWF60C3G11004319 # diagnose wireless-controller wlac -c sta-locate
sta_mac vfid rid base_mac freq_lst frm_cnt frm_fst frm_last intv_sum intv2_sum intv3_sum
intv_min intv_max signal_sum signal2_sum signal3_sum sig_min sig_max sig_fst sig_last
ap
00:0b:6b:22:82:61 0
FAP22B3U11005354 0 0 00:09:0f:f1:bb:e4 5745 257 708 56 651 1836 6441 0 12 -21832 1855438 -
157758796 -88 -81 -84 -88 0
00:db:df:24:1a:67 0
FAP22B3U11005354 0 0 00:09:0f:f1:bb:e4 5745 42 1666 41 1625 97210 5831613 0 60 -3608 310072
-26658680 -90 -83 -85 -89 0

10:68:3f:50:22:29 0
FAP22B3U11005354 0 0 00:09:0f:f1:bb:e4 5745 102 1623 58 1565 94136 5664566 0 60 -8025 631703
-49751433 -84 -75 -78 -79 0
The output for each device appears on two lines. The first line contains only the device MAC address and the VLAN ID.
The second line begins with the ID (serial number) of the FortiWiFi or FortiAP unit that detected the device, the AP MAC
address, and then the fields that the Euclid service uses. Because of its length, this line wraps around and displays as
multiple lines.

Troubleshooting
To troubleshoot the FortiOS wireless controller and FortiAP units, this section includes the following topics:
l FortiAP shell command on page 133
l Signal strength issues on page 133
l Throughput issues on page 137
l Client connection issues on page 139
l FortiAP connection issues on page 140
l Best practices for OSI common sources of wireless issues on page 144
l Packet sniffer on page 147
l Debug commands on page 150
FortiAP shell command
The FortiAP is often behind a NAT device and access to the FortiAP through SSH is not available. The FortiGate WiFi
controller can send a FortiAP shell command (up to 127 bytes) to the FortiAP. The FortiAP runs this command and then
returns the results to the controller using the Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points Protocol
(CAPWAP) tunnel.
The maximum output from a FortiAP shell command is limited to 4 MB. The default output size is set to 32 KB.
The FortiAP reports the running results to the controller after the command is finished. If the controller sends a new
command to the FortiAP before the previous command is finished, the previous command is canceled.
Enter the following command:
diag w-c wlac wtpcmd wtp_ip wtp_port cmd [cmd-to-ap] cmd: run,show,showhex,clr,r&h,r&sh
l cmd-to-ap: any shell commands, but FortiAP does not report results until the command is finished on the FortiAP
l run: controller sends the ap-cmd to the FortiAP to run
l show: show current results reported by the FortiAP in text
l showhex: show current results reported by the FortiAP in hexadecimal format.
l clr: clear reported results
l r&s: run and show
l r&sh: run and show in hexadecimal format
Signal strength issues
This section includes information to help you identify and troubleshoot poor signal strength issues.

Troubleshooting 134
Asymmetric power issue
Asymmetric power issues are a typical problem in wireless communications. Access points (AP) can have a high
transmit power which means that a signal can travel a long distance. However, clients may not have a transmit power
strong enough for the APs to detect their signal.
Measuring signal strength in both directions
To solve an asymmetric power issue, measure the signal strength in both directions. APs usually have enough power to
transmit long distances, but sometimes battery-powered clients have a reply signal that has less power, and therefore
the AP cannot detect their signal.
It is recommended that you match the transmission power of the AP to the least powerful wireless client—around 10
decibels per milliwatt (dBm) for iPhones and 14 dBm for most laptops.
Even if the signal is strong enough, other devices may also emit radiation and cause interference. To identify the
difference, read the client Rx strength from the FortiGate GUI (under Monitor > WiFi Client Monitor) or CLI.
The Signal Strength/Noise value provides the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the wireless client. For
example, a value of -85 dBm to -95 dBm is equal to about 10 dB levels; this is not a desirable signal strength. In the
following screenshot, one of the clients is at 18 dB, which is getting close to the perimeter of its range.
The recommended Signal Strength/Noise value from and to the FortiAP by clients is in the
range of -20 dBm to -65 dBm.
You can also confirm the transmission (Tx) power of the controller on the AP profile (wtp-profile) and the FortiAP
(iwconfig), and check the power management (auto-Tx) options.
Controller configured transmitting power - CLI:

Troubleshooting 135
config <radio>
show
(the following output is limited to power levels)

auto-power-level : enable
auto-power-high : 17
auto-power-low : 10
Actual FortiAP transmitting power - CLI:
iwconfig wlan00
Result:
wlan00 IEEE 802.11ng ESSID:"signal-check"
Mode:Master Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:<MAC add>
Bit Rate:130 Mb/s Tx-Power=28 dBm
Using FortiPlanner
The most thorough method to solve signal strength issues is to perform a site survey using FortiPlanner.
For details about FortiPlanner, visit the FortiPlanner website. You can download FortiPlanner here.
Sample depiction of a site survey using FortiPlanner

Troubleshooting 136
The site survey helps with the optimal placement for your APs based on the variables in your environment. You must
provide the site survey detailed information such as a floor plan (to scale) and structural materials. FortiPlanner allows
you to place the APs on the map and adjust the radio bands and power levels while providing you with visual wireless
coverage.
The following list includes mechanisms for gathering further information on the client for Rx strength. The goal is to see
how well the client is receiving the signal from the AP. You can also verify FortiAP signal strength on the client using
WiFi client utilities, or third-party utilities such as InSSIDer or MetaGeek Chanalyzer.
l Professional Site Survey software (Ekahau, AirMagnet survey Pro, FortiPlanner)
l InSSIDer
l On Windows: “netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid” (look for the BSSID, it's in % not in dBm)
l On MacOS: Use the “airport” command:
“/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport” airport –s | grep <the_
bssid> (live scan each time)
l On Android: WiFiFoFum
Frequency interference
If the wireless signal seems to be strong but then periodically drops, this may be a symptom of frequency interference.
Frequency interference is when another device also emits radio frequency using the same channel, co-channel, or
adjacent channel, thereby overpowering or corrupting your signal. This is a common problem on a 2.4 GHz network.
There are two types of interference: coherent and non-coherent.
l Coherent interference is a result of another device using the same channel as your AP, or poor planning of a
wireless infrastructure. Perhaps the other nearby APs are using the same channel or the signal strength is too high.
l Non-coherent interference is a result of other radio signals such as Bluetooth, microwave, cordless phone, or x-
ray machines (as in medical environments).
The most common and simple solution for frequency interference is to change your operation channel. Typically, the
channel can be set from 1 to 11 for the broadcast frequency, although it is recommended to use channels 1, 6, and 11
on the 2.4 GHz band.
Another solution, if it is appropriate for your location, is to use the 5 GHz band instead.
MetaGeek Chanalyzer
You can perform a site survey using spectrum analysis at various points in your environment to locate sources of
interference. MetaGeek Chanalyzer is an example of a third-party utility used for spectrum analysis of complex WiFi
networks.
Fortinet wireless adapters ignore signals of -95 dBm or less.

Troubleshooting 137
Throughput issues
Topics in this section help you identify throughput issues to suggest actions to address them.
Link testing
You can identify delays or lost packets by sending ping packets from your wireless client. If there is more than 10 ms of
delay, there may be a problem with your wireless deployment, such as:
l The client transmits a week signal. The host does not reach the AP.
l The AP utilization is too high. Your AP is saturated with connected clients.
l There is interference in the wireless network. Third-party signal can degrade your AP or the client's ability to detect
signals between them.
l The AP has a weak transmit power. The AP does not reach the host. This problem is not common in a properly
deployed network, unless the client is too far away.
Performance testing
If the FortiAP gives poor throughput to the client, the link can drop. You can measure the link throughput or performance
between two devices by using third-party application tools such as iPerf and jPerf.
Measuring the file transfer speed
Another way to get a sense of your throughput issues is to measure the speed of a file transfer on your network. Create
a test file at a specific size and measure the speed at which Windows measures the transfer. The command below
creates a 50 MB file. The file name is test.txt.
l fsutil file createnew test.txt 52428800

Troubleshooting 138
The following image shows a network transfer speed of just over 24 Mbps. The theoretical speed of 802.11g is 54 Mbps,
which is what this client is using. A wireless client is never likely to see the theoretical speed.
TKIP limitation
If you find that throughput is a problem, avoid WPA security encrypted with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) as it
supports communications only at 54 Mbps. Use WPA-2 AES instead.
Speeds are very much based on what the client computer can handle as well. The maximum client connection rate of
130 Mbps is for 2.4 GHz on a 2x2, or 300 Mbps for 5 GHz on a 2x2 (using shortguard and channel bonding enabled).
If you want to get more than 54 Mbps with 802.11n, do not use legacy TKIP, use CCMP instead. This is standard for
legacy compatibility.
IP packet fragmentation prevention in CAPWAP tunnels
TKIP is not the only possible source of decreased throughput. When a wireless client sends jumbo frames using a
CAPWAP tunnel, it can result in data loss, jitter, and decreased throughput. For more details, see IP fragmentation of
packets in CAPWAP tunnels on page 60.
Slow DTLS response
The following elements are involved in the CAPWAP association:

l request
l response
l full of DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) tunnel establishment
l join
l configuration

Troubleshooting 139
All of these element are bidirectional. If the DTLS response is slow, there could be a configuration error or an issue with
a certificate during the discovery response. For details about the CAPWAP Protocol Specification, see RFC 5415 and
RFC 5416.
Client connection issues
1. If the client is unable to connect to FortiAP:

l Make sure the client security and authentication settings match with FortiAP and also check the certificates.
l Try upgrading the Wi-Fi adapter driver, FortiGate and FortiAP firmware.
l If other clients can connect, the issue can be with device interoperability. Run debug commands and sniffer
packets.
l Look for rogue suppression by sniffing the wireless traffic and looking for the connection issue in the output
(using the AP or wireless packet sniffer).
l Try changing the IEEE protocol from 802.11n to 802.11bg or 802.11a only.
2. If the client drops and reconnects:
l The client might be de-authenticating periodically. Check the sleep mode on the client.
l The issue could be related to power-saver settings. The client may need to update the drivers.
l The issue could also be caused by flapping between APs. Check the roaming sensitivity settings on the client
or the preferred wireless network settings on the client. If another WiFi network is available, the client may
connect to it if it is a preferred network. Also, check the DHCP configuration as this configuration may be an IP
conflict.
3. If the client drops and never connects:
l The client could have roamed to another SSID. Check the standby and sleep modes.
l You may need to bring the interface up and down.
4. If the client connects, but no IP address is acquired by the client:
l Check the DHCP configuration and the network.
l There could be a broadcast issue. Check the WEP encryption key and set a static IP address and VLANs.
Debugging client connection issues
To see the stage at which the client fails to connect, enable the client debug on the controller for problematic clients. Try
to connect from the problematic client and run the following debug command, which allows you to see the four-way
handshake of the client association:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac sta_filter <client MAC address> 2
Example of a successful client connection:
The following example debug output is for the above command. This example shows the successful association phase,
DHCP phase, and the PSK key exchange (identified in color):
FG600B3909600253 #
91155.197 <ih> IEEE 802.11 mgmt::assoc_req <== 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check rId 0 wId 0
00:09:0f:f3:20:45
91155.197 <ih> IEEE 802.11 mgmt::assoc_resp ==> 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check rId 0 wId 0
00:09:0f:f3:20:45 resp 0
91155.197 <cc> STA_CFG_REQ(15) sta 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 add ==> ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0
wId 0

Troubleshooting 140
91155.197 <dc> STA add 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0 wId 0
bssid 00:09:0f:f3:20:45 NON-AUTH
91155.197 <cc> STA add 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0 wId 0
00:09:0f:f3:20:45 sec WPA2 AUTO auth 0
91155.199 <cc> STA_CFG_RESP(15) 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rc 0 (Success)
91155.199 <eh> send 1/4 msg of 4-Way Handshake
91155.199 <eh>send IEEE 802.1X ver=1 type=3 (EAPOL_KEY) data len=95 replay cnt 1
91155.199 <eh> IEEE 802.1X (EAPOL 99B) ==> 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0
wId 0 00:09:0f:f3:20:45
91155.217 <eh> IEEE 802.1X (EAPOL 121B) <== 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0
wId 0 00:09:0f:f3:20:45
91155.217 <eh> recv IEEE 802.1X ver=1 type=3 (EAPOL_KEY) data len=117
91155.217 <eh> recv EAPOL-Key 2/4 Pairwise replay cnt 1
91155.218 <eh> send 3/4 msg of 4-Way Handshake
91155.218 <eh> send IEEE 802.1X ver=1 type=3 (EAPOL_KEY) data len=175 replay cnt 2
91155.218 <eh> IEEE 802.1X (EAPOL 179B) ==> 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0
wId 0 00:09:0f:f3:20:45
91155.223 <eh> IEEE 802.1X (EAPOL 99B) <== 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0
wId 0 00:09:0f:f3:20:45
91155.223 <eh> recv IEEE 802.1X ver=1 type=3 (EAPOL_KEY) data len=95
91155.223 <eh> recv EAPOL-Key 4/4 Pairwise replay cnt 2
91155.223 <dc> STA chg 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0 wId 0
bssid 00:09:0f:f3:20:45 AUTH
91155.224 <cc> STA chg 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 vap signal-check ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0 wId 0
00:09:0f:f3:20:45 sec WPA2 AUTO auth 1
91155.224 <cc> STA_CFG_REQ(16) sta 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 add key (len=16) ==> ws (0-
192.168.35.1:5246) rId 0 wId 0
91155.226 <cc> STA_CFG_RESP(16) 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rc 0 (Success)
91155.226 <eh> ***pairwise key handshake completed*** (RSN)
91155.257 <dc> DHCP Request server 0.0.0.0 <== host ADMINFO-FD4I2HK mac 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ip
172.16.1.16
91155.258 <dc> DHCP Ack server 172.16.1.1 ==> host mac 30:46:9a:f9:fa:34 ip 172.16.1.16 mask
255.255.255.0 gw 172.16.1.1
where:
l Orange represents the association phase.
l Blue represents the PSK exchange.
l Green represents the DHCP phase.
It is important to note the messages for a correct association phase, four-way handshake, and DHCP phase.
Checking the WiFi password
An Administrator can view plain text passwords (captive-portal-radius-secret and passphrase) under
config wireless-controller vap.
Note that security must be set as a WPA-personal setting.
FortiAP connection issues
A communication problem can arise from the FortiAP.

Troubleshooting 141
Some examples include:

l The FortiAP is not connecting to the wireless controller.
l One FortiAP intermittently disconnects and re-connects.
l All FortiAPs intermittently disconnect and re-connect.
In the above cases:
l Check networking on the distribution system for all related FortiAPs.
l Check the authorization status of managed APs from the wireless controller.
l Restart the cw_acd process.
Note: A restart of the cw_acd process drops all APs.
l For any wireless controller daemon crashes, check the controller crash log using the following command:
diagnose debug crashlog read
Debugging FortiAP connection issues
For a quick assessment of the association communication between the controller and the FortiAP, run the following
sniffer command to see if you can verify that the AP is communicating to the controller by identifying the
CAPWAP communication:
diagnose sniff packet <interface_name> “port 5246” 4
If you do not see this communication, then you can investigate the network or the settings on the AP to see why it is not
reaching the controller.
To collect verbose output from the sniff that can be converted to a PCAP and viewed in Wireshark, use the following
command:
diagnose sniff packet <interface_name> “port 5246” 6 0 l
The image below shows the beginning of the AP association to the controller. You can see the discovery Request and
Response at the top.

Troubleshooting 142
Throughout debugging it is recommended to:

l Enable SSH login to the FortiAP device so that you can log in and issue local debugging commands:
edit "<FortiAP_serial_number>"
set override-allowaccess {disable|enable}
set allowaccess {https | ssh}
end
l Try to connect to the wireless controller from the problematic FortiAP to verify routes exist.
l Enable wtp (FortiAP) debugging on the wireless controller for problematic FortiAPs to determine the point at which
the FortiAP fails to connect:
diag wireless-controller wlac wtp_filter FP112B3X13000193 0-192.168.6.8:5246 2
(replace the serial number and IP address of the FortiAP)

di de console timestamp en
di de application cw_acd 0x7ff
di de en
Example of a successful AP and controller association:
Here is another example of a successful association between the FortiAP and the wireless controller. This example
includes elements of the CAPWAP protocol; Request, Response, DTLS, Join, and Configuration (identified in color). All
of these elements are bi-directional. So, if the DTLS response is slow, there could be a configuration error.
56704.575 <msg> DISCOVERY_REQ (12) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56704.575 <msg> DISCOVERY_RESP (12) ==> ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56707.575 <msg> DISCOVERY_REQ (13) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56707.575 <msg> DISCOVERY_RESP (13) ==> ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.577 <aev> - CWAE_INIT_COMPLETE ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.577 <aev> - CWAE_LISTENER_THREAD_READY ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.577 <fsm> old CWAS_START(0) ev CWAE_INIT_COMPLETE(0) new CWAS_IDLE(1)

Troubleshooting 143
56709.577 <fsm> old CWAS_IDLE(1) ev CWAE_LISTENER_THREAD_READY(1) new CWAS_DTLS_SETUP(4)

56709.623 <aev> - CWAE_DTLS_PEER_ID_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.623 <aev> - CWAE_DTLS_AUTH_PASS ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.623 <aev> - CWAE_DTLS_ESTABLISHED ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.623 <fsm> old CWAS_DTLS_SETUP(4) ev CWAE_DTLS_PEER_ID_RECV(7) new CWAS_DTLS_AUTHORIZE(2)
56709.623 <fsm> old CWAS_DTLS_AUTHORIZE(2) ev CWAE_DTLS_AUTH_PASS(3) new CWAS_DTLS_CONN(5)
56709.623 <fsm> old CWAS_DTLS_CONN(5) ev CWAE_DTLS_ESTABLISHED(8) new CWAS_JOIN(7)
56709.625 <msg> JOIN_REQ (14) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.625 <aev> - CWAE_JOIN_REQ_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.626 <fsm> old CWAS_JOIN(7) ev CWAE_JOIN_REQ_RECV(12) new CWAS_JOIN(7)
56709.629 <msg> CFG_STATUS (15) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.629 <aev> - CWAE_CFG_STATUS_REQ ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56709.629 <fsm> old CWAS_JOIN(7) ev CWAE_CFG_STATUS_REQ(13) new CWAS_CONFIG(8)
56710.178 <msg> CHG_STATE_EVENT_REQ (16) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.178 <aev> - CWAE_CHG_STATE_EVENT_REQ_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.178 <fsm> old CWAS_CONFIG(8) ev CWAE_CHG_STATE_EVENT_REQ_RECV(23) new CWAS_DATA_CHAN_
SETUP(10)
56710.220 <aev> - CWAE_DATA_CHAN_CONNECTED ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.220 <msg> DATA_CHAN_KEEP_ALIVE <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.220 <aev> - CWAE_DATA_CHAN_KEEP_ALIVE_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.220 <msg> DATA_CHAN_KEEP_ALIVE ==> ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.220 <fsm> old CWAS_DATA_CHAN_SETUP(10) ev CWAE_DATA_CHAN_CONNECTED(32) new CWAS_DATA_
CHECK(11)
56710.220 <aev> - CWAE_DATA_CHAN_VERIFIED ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.220 <fsm> old CWAS_DATA_CHECK(11) ev CWAE_DATA_CHAN_KEEP_ALIVE_RECV(35) new CWAS_DATA_
CHECK(11)
56710.220 <fsm> old CWAS_DATA_CHECK(11) ev CWAE_DATA_CHAN_VERIFIED(36) new CWAS_RUN(12)
56710.228 <msg> WTP_EVENT_REQ (17) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.228 <aev> - CWAE_WTP_EVENT_REQ_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.228 <fsm> old CWAS_RUN(12) ev CWAE_WTP_EVENT_REQ_RECV(42) new CWAS_RUN(12)
56710.230 <msg> CFG_UPDATE_RESP (1) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rc 0 (Success)
56710.230 <aev> - CWAE_CFG_UPDATE_RESP_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.230 <fsm> old CWAS_RUN(12) ev CWAE_CFG_UPDATE_RESP_RECV(37) new CWAS_RUN(12)
56710.232 <msg> CFG_UPDATE_RESP (2) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246) rc 0 (Success)
56710.232 <aev> - CWAE_CFG_UPDATE_RESP_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56710.232 <fsm> old CWAS_RUN(12) ev CWAE_CFG_UPDATE_RESP_RECV(37) new CWAS_RUN(12)
56712.253 < . > AC (2) -> WTP (0-192.168.35.1:5246) State: CWAS_RUN (12) accept 3 live 3 dbg
00000000 pkts 12493 0
00000000 pkts 12493 0
00000000 pkts 12493 0
56719.253 <aev> - CWAE_AC_ECHO_INTV_TMR_EXPIRE ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56719.253 <fsm> old CWAS_RUN(12) ev CWAE_AC_ECHO_INTV_TMR_EXPIRE(39) new CWAS_RUN(12)
56719.576 <msg> ECHO_REQ (21) <== ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56719.576 <aev> - CWAE_ECHO_REQ_RECV ws (0-192.168.35.1:5246)
56719.577 <fsm> old CWAS_RUN(12) ev CWAE_ECHO_REQ_RECV(27) new CWAS_RUN(12)

Troubleshooting 144
where:
l Orange represents the Discovery phase.
l Blue indicates that the control channels have been established using DTLS.
l Green represents the access point Discovery and Join phase.
l Purple represents the Clear Text channel.
l Pink indicates that the FortiAP is successfully connected to the wireless controller.
Best practices for OSI common sources of wireless issues
Not all WiFi problems are related to signal strength, interference, or misconfiguration. The following OSI model
identifies some of the more common issues per layer.
Best practices for troubleshooting vary depending on the affected layer. See the following illustration.
Common sources of wireless issues
Best practices for Layer 1
Common physical layer issues include:

l weak received signal
l WiFi capability: 802.11b, 1x1, 2x2
l co-channel WiFi interference

Troubleshooting 145
l side band WiFi interference

l non 802.11 noise (such as microwave ovens)
To avoid physical layer issues:
l Determine the RST (Receiver Sensitivity Threshold) for your device, or use -70 dBm as a rule of thumb.
l Match the AP TX output power to the client TX output power.
l Use DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) for high performance data 20/40 MHz.
l Use 5 GHz UNII-1 & 3 (Non-DFS) bands with static channel assignment for latency-sensitive applications.
l Do not use 40 MHz channels in 2.4 GHz band. (FortiOS does not allow channel bonding.)
Best practices for Layer 2
Common data link (MAC) layer issues include:

l too many clients on a single channel (CSMA/CA) backoff
l too many high-priority traffic clients (WMM)
l incorrect password or encryption settings
l too many beacons (in high-density installations)
To avoid data link layer issues:
l Only use CCMP/AES (WPA2) encryption (not TKIP).
l In high-density deployments, turn off SSID broadcast or turn down SSID rates. Review and possibly reduce the
beacon interval.
l Determine the best cell size for applications:
l For few users and low bandwidth latency sensitive applications, use high-transmit power to create larger cells.
l For high-performance and high-capacity installations, use lower transmit power to create smaller cells (set
FortiPlanner at 10 dBm TX power), but bear in mind that this setting requires more roaming.
Cells and co-channel interference
In high-density deployments, multiple APs are used, and each one services an area called a cell. However, these cells
can cause interference with each other. This is a common problem. The radio signal from one AP interferes with, or
cancels out, the radio signal from another AP.
In the following diagram, note the interference zone created by one radio, causing interference on its neighboring APs.
The interference zone can be twice the radius of the signal, and the signal at its edge can be -67 dBm.

Troubleshooting 146
Reducing co-channel interference
For best results, use a honeycomb pattern as a deployment strategy. The idea is to stagger repeated channels furthest
from each other to avoid interference.
Best practices for Layer 3 and above
For TCP/IP layers and above, a common source of latency, or slowness in the wireless traffic, is too many broadcasts or
multicasts. These types of issues can result from non-business or unwanted traffic, or both.
To resolve issues at the TCP/IP layer and above, you can:

Troubleshooting 147
l identify business-critical applications

l use Application Control, Web Filtering, Traffic Shaping, and QoS to prioritize applications
l Identify unwanted traffic, high-bandwidth web-related traffic, and use Security Profiles.
l Use the traffic shaping on a policy to rate-limit this traffic.
You perform these configurations directly on the FortiGate.
Packet sniffer
Capturing the traffic between the controller and the FortiAP can help you identify most FortiAP and client connection
issues.
CAPWAP packet sniffer
The first recommended technique consists of sniffing the CAPWAP traffic.

l Enable plain control on the controller and on the FortiAP to capture clear control traffic on UDP port 5246.
l On the controller:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac plain-ctl <FortiAP_serial_number> 1
Result:
WTP 0-FortiAP2223X11000107 Plain Control: enabled
l On the FortiAP:
cw_diag plain-ctl 1
Result:
Current Plain Control: enabled
Note that some issues are related to the keep-alive for control and data channel.
Data traffic on UDP port 5247 is not encrypted. The data itself is encrypted by the wireless security mechanism.
Data traffic is helpful to troubleshoot most of the issues related to station association, EAP authentication, WPA key
exchange, roaming, and FortiAP configuration.
You can also set up a host or server to which you can forward the CAPWAP traffic:
1. Configure the host or server to which CAPWAP traffic is forwarded:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac sniff-cfg <Host_IP_address> 88888
Result:
Current Sniff Server: 192.168.25.41, 23352
2. Choose which traffic to capture, the interface to which the FortiAP is connected, and the FortiAP serial number:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac sniff <interface_name> <FortiAP_serial_
number> 2
Result:
WTP 0-FortiAP2223X11000107 Sniff: intf port2 enabled (control and data message)
In the above syntax, the '2' captures the control and data message. The '1' would capture only the control message
and '0' would disable it.
3. Run Wireshark on the host or server to capture CAPWAP traffic from the controller.
4. Decode the traffic as IP to check inner CAPWAP traffic.

Troubleshooting 148
Example CAPWAP packet capture
The following image shows an example of a CAPWAP packet capture, where you can see the following details:
l Layer 2 header
l sniffed traffic encapsulated into Internet Protocol for transport
l CAPWAP encapsulated into UDP for sniffer purpose and encapsulated into IP
l CAPWAP control traffic on UDP port 5246
l CAPWAP payload
Wireless traffic packet sniffer
The second recommended technique consists of sniffing the wireless traffic directly on the air using your FortiAP.
Wireless traffic packet capture
Packet captures are useful for troubleshooting all wireless client related issues because you can verify data rate and
802.11 parameters, such as radio capabilities, and determine issues with wireless signal strength, interference, or
congestion on the network.
A radio can only capture one frequency at a time; one of the radios is set to sniffer mode depending on the traffic or
channel required. You must use two FortiAPs to capture both frequencies at the same time.

Troubleshooting 149
l Set a radio on the FortiAP to monitor mode.

iwconfig wlan10
Result:
wlan10 IEEE 802.11na ESSID:""
Mode:Monitor Frequency:5.18 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
l The capture file is stored under the temp directory as wl_sniff.pcap

/tmp/wl_sniff.cap
l Remember that the capture file is only stored temporarily. If you want to save it, upload it to a TFTP server
before rebooting or changing the radio settings.
l The command cp wl_sniff.cap newname.pcap allows you to rename the file.
l Rather than TFTP the file, you can also log in to the AP and retrieve the file via the web interface. Move the file
using the command: mv name /usr/www.
You can verify that the file was moved using the command cd/usr/www and then browsing to: <fortiAP_
IP>/filename.
Syntax
The following syntax demonstrates how to set the radio to sniffer mode (configurable from the CLI only). Sniffer mode
provides options to filter for specific traffic to capture. Notice that you can determine the buffer size, which channel to
sniff, the AP MAC address, and select if you want to sniff the beacons, probes, controls, and data channels.
configure wireless-controller wtp-profile
edit <profile_name>
configure <radio>
set mode sniffer
set ap-sniffer-bufsize 32
set ap-sniffer-chan 1
set ap-sniffer-addr 00:00:00:00:00:00
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-beacon enable
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-probe enable
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-other enable
set ap-sniffer-ctl enable
set ap-sniffer-data enable
end
end
Once you have performed the previous CLI configuration, you can see the packet sniffer mode selected in the GUI
dashboard under WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles and WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed
FortiAPs. Bear in mind that if you change the mode from the GUI, you need to return to the CLI to re-enable the sniffer
mode.
To disable the sniffer profile in the CLI, use the following commands:
edit <profile_name>
config <radio>
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-beacon disable
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-probe disable
set ap-sniffer-mgmt-other disable
set ap-sniffer-ctl disable
set ap-sniffer-data disable
end

Troubleshooting 150
end
If you change the radio mode before sending the file wl_sniff.cap to an external TFTP, the
file is deleted and you lose your packet capture.
Example AP packet capture
The following image shows an example of the AP packet capture with the following details:
l capture header showing channel 36
l beacon frame
l source, destination, and BSSID of the beacon frame
l SSID of the beacon frame
Debug commands
For a list of debug options available for the wireless controller, use the following command on the controller:
diagnose wireless-controller wlac help

Troubleshooting 151
Sample outputs
Syntax
diagnose wireless-controller wlac -c vap
(This command lists the information about the virtual access point, including its MAC address, the BSSID, its SSID,
the interface name, and the IP address of the APs that are broadcasting it.)
Result:
bssid ssid intf vfid:ip-port rId wId
00:09:0f:d6:cb:12 Office Office ws (0-192.168.3.33:5246) 0 0
00:09:0f:e6:6b:12 Office Office ws (0-192.168.1.61:5246) 0 0
06:0e:8e:27:dc:48 Office Office ws (0-192.168.3.36:5246) 0 0
0a:09:0f:d6:cb:12 public publicAP ws (0-192.168.3.33:5246) 0 1
Syntax
diagnose wireless-controller wlac -c darrp
(This command lists the information pertaining to the radio resource provisioning statistics, including the AP serial
number, the number of channels set to choose from, and the operation channel. Note that the 5 GHz band is not
available on these APs listed.)
Result:
wtp_id rId base_mac index nr_chan vfid 5G oper_chan age
FAP22A3U10600400 0 00:09:0f:d6:cb:12 0 3 0 No 1 87588
FW80CM3910601176 0 06:0e:8e:27:dc:48 1 3 0 No 6 822
Extension information support
You can enable or disable extension information at wtp-profile, and use the diagnose option below to print out the
detail of extension information.
Syntax

edit test
set lldp [enable | disable]
set ext-info-enable
[enable | disable] --> Enable or disable station, VAP, and radio extension information.
end
end
diagnose wireless-controller wlac -d [wtp | vap | sta]
where:
l wlac -d wtp [SN|name] [reset] --> List or reset wtp info (data).
l wlac -d vap [bssid] [reset] --> List or reset vap info (data). .

Troubleshooting 152
l wlac -d sta [mac] [reset] --> list or reset sta info (data).

FortiAP CLI configuration and diagnostics commands
The FortiAP CLI controls radio and network operations through the use of variables manipulated with the configuration
and diagnostics commands.
For details about accessing the FortiAP CLI, see FortiAP CLI access on page 47.
Configuration commands
Command Description
cfg -s List variables for most popular settings and also the ones that are not using
default values.
cfg -a var=value Add or change a variable value.
cfg -c Commit the change to flash.
cfg -x Reset settings to factory defaults.
cfg -r var Remove variable.
cfg -e Export variables.
cfg -h Display help for all configuration commands and a complete list of configuration
variables.
Configuration variables
Variable Description and value

AC_CTL_PORT WiFi Controller control (CAPWAP) port.
Default: 5246.
AC_DATA_CHAN_SEC Data channel security.
0 - Clear text
1 - DTLS (encrypted)
2 - Accept either DTLS or clear text (default)
AC_DISCOVERY_TYPE 0 - Auto - Cycle through all of the discovery types until successful.
1 - Static. Specify WiFi Controllers
2 - DHCP
3 - DNS
5 - Broadcast
6 - Multicast
7- FortiCloud


AC_HOSTNAME_1 WiFi Controller host names for static discovery.
AC_HOSTNAME_2
AC_HOSTNAME_3
AC_IPADDR_1 WiFi Controller IP addresses for static discovery.
AC_IPADDR_2
AC_IPADDR_3
AC_DISCOVERY_DHCP_OPTION_CODE Option code for DHCP server.
Default: 138.
AC_DISCOVERY_MC_ADDR Multicast address for controller discovery.
Default: 224.0.1.140.
ADDR_MODE How the FortiAP unit obtains its IP address and netmask.
DHCP - FortiGate interface assigns address.
STATIC - Specify in AP_IPADDR and AP_NETMASK.
Default: DHCP.
ADMIN_TIMEOUT Administrative timeout in minutes. Applies to GUI sessions.
Default: 5 minutes.
AP_IPADDR These variables set the FortiAP unit IP address, netmask and default
AP_NETMASK gateway when ADDR_MODE is STATIC.
IPGW
Default for AP_IPADDR: 192.168.1.2 .
Default for AP_NETMASK: 255.255.255.0.
Default for IPGW: 192.168.1.1.
ALLOW_HTTPS 0 - https disable
1 - https enable
2 - controlled by AC
Default: 2.
ALLOW_SSH 0 - SSH disable
1 - SSH enable
2 - controlled by AC
Default: 2.
AP_MGMT_VLAN_ID Non-zero value applies VLAN ID for unit management. See Reserved
VLAN IDs on page 15.
Default: 0.
AP_MODE FortiAP operating mode.
0 - Thin AP
2 - Unmanaged Site Survey mode. See SURVEY variables.
Default: 0.
BAUD_RATE Console data rate: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, or 115200 baud.

Default: 9600.
DNS_SERVER DNS Server for clients. If ADDR_MODE is DHCP the DNS server is
automatically assigned.
FIRMWARE_UPGRADE Default: 0.
LED_STATE Enable/disable status LEDs.
0 - LEDs enabled
1 - LEDs disabled
2 - follow AC setting
LOGIN_PASSWD Administrator login password. By default this is empty.
STP_MODE Spanning Tree Protocol.
0 - off
1 - on
WTP_LOCATION Optional string describing AP location.
Mesh variables
MESH_AP_BGSCAN Enable or disable background mesh root AP scan.
0 - Disabled
1 - Enabled
MESH_AP_BGSCAN_RSSI If the signal of the root AP is weak, and lower than the received signal
strength indicator (RSSI) threshold, the WiFi driver immediately
starts a new round scan and ignores the configured MESH_AP_
BGSCAN_PERIOD delays. Set the value between 0 and 127.
After the new round scan is finished, a scan done event is passed to
wtp daemon to trigger roaming.
MESH_AP_BGSCAN_PERIOD Time in seconds that a delay period occurs between scans. Set the
value between 1 and 3600.
MESH_AP_BGSCAN_IDLE Time in milliseconds. Set the value between 0 and 1000.
MESH_AP_BGSCAN_INTV Time in milliseconds between channel scans. Set the value between
200 and 16000.
MESH_AP_BGSCAN_DUR Time in milliseconds that the radio will continue scanning the
channel. Set the value between 10 and 200.
MESH_AP_SCANCHANLIST Specify those channels to be scanned.
MESH_AP_TYPE Type of communication for backhaul to controller:
0 - Ethernet
1 - WiFi mesh
2 - Ethernet with mesh backup support
Default: 0.


MESH_AP_SSID SSID for mesh backhaul.
Default: fortinet.mesh.root.
MESH_AP_BSSID WiFi MAC address.
MESH_AP_PASSWD Pre-shared key for mesh backhaul.
MESH_ETH_BRIDGE 1 - Bridge mesh WiFi SSID to FortiAP Ethernet port. This can be used
for point-to-point bridge configuration. This is available only when
MESH_AP_TYPE =1.
0 - No WiFi-Ethernet bridge
Default: 0.
MESH_MAX_HOPS Maximum number of times packets can be passed from node to node
on the mesh.
Default: 4.
The following factors are summed and the FortiAP associates with the lowest scoring mesh AP.
MESH_SCORE_HOP_WEIGHT Multiplier for number of mesh hops from root. Default: 50.
MESH_SCORE_CHAN_WEIGHT AP total RSSI multiplier. Default: 1.
MESH_SCORE_RATE_WEIGHT Beacon data rate multiplier. Default: 1.
MESH_SCORE_BAND_WEIGHT Band weight (0 for 2.4 GHz, 1 for 5 GHz) multiplier. Default: 100.
MESH_SCORE_RSSI_WEIGHT AP channel RSSI multiplier. Default: 100.
Survey variables
SURVEY_SSID SSID to broadcast in site survey mode (AP_MODE=2).
SURVEY_TX_POWER Transmitter power in site survey mode (AP_MODE=2).
SURVEY_CH_24 Site survey transmit channel for the 2.4 GHz band. Default: 6.
SURVEY_CH_50 Site survey transmit channel for the 5 GHz band. Default: 36.
SURVEY_BEACON_INTV Site survey beacon interval. Default: 100 ms.
Diagnostics commands
Command Description
cw_diag admin-timeout [30] Set the shell idle timeout in minutes.
cw_diag baudrate [9600 | 19200 Set the console baud rate.
| 38400 | 57600 | 115200]
cw_diag help Display help for all diagnostics commands.
cw_diag plain-ctl [0|1] Show or change the current plain control setting.

Command Description
cw_diag sniff [0|1|2] Enable or disable the sniff packet.
cw_diag sniff-cfg ip port Set the sniff server IP and port.
cw_diag stats wl_intf Show the wl_intf status.
cw_diag uptime Show daemon uptime.
cw_diag -c ap-scan Show scanned APs.
cw_diag -c ap-suppress Show suppressed APs.
cw_diag -c arp-req Show scanned arp requests.
cw_diag -c atf Show Air Time Fairness information at the FortiAP level.
cw_diag -c ble-scan Show scanned Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices that are reported
to FortiPresence.
cw_diag -c darrp Show the DARRP radio channel.
cw_diag -c fortipresence Show FortiPresence statistics including reported BLE devices.
cw_diag -c k-qos wlan00 Verify that the vmn-dscp-marking values are pushed to FortiAP.
cw_diag -c mesh Show the mesh status.
cw_diag -c mesh-ap Show the mesh ap candidates.
cw_diag -c mesh-veth-acinfo Show the mesh veth ac info, and mesh ether type.
cw_diag -c mesh-veth-host Show the mesh veth host.
cw_diag -c mesh-veth-vap Show the mesh veth vap.
cw_diag -c radio-cfg Show the current radio config parameters in the control plane.
cw_diag -c scan-clr-all Flush all scanned AP/STA/ARPs.
cw_diag -c snmp Show configuration details for SNMP support.
cw_diag -c sta-cap Show scanned STA capabilities.
cw_diag -c sta-deauth De-authenticate an STA.
cw_diag -c sta-scan Show scanned STAs.
cw_diag -c vap-cfg Show the current VAPs in the control plane.
cw_diag -c vlan-probe-cmd Start the VLAN probe.
action(0:start 1:stop 2:clear) Example command: cw_diag -c vlan-probe-cmd 0 eth0 2 300 3 10
intf [start-vlan end-vlan
Example output: VLAN probing: start intf [eth0] vlan range[2,300]
retries timeout]
retries[3] timeout[10] ...
cw_diag -c vlan-probe-rpt Show the VLAN probe report.
cw_diag -c wids Show scanned WIDS detections.
cw_diag -c wtp-cfg Show the current wtp config parameters in the control plane.

Command Description
cw_diag --clog <on|off> Turn on or off console log message.

FortiAP REST API 159
FortiAP REST API
FortiAP-S and FortiAP-W2 version 6.2.0 and later support the following REST API calls:
REST API call HTTP Description
cfg-get GET List effective FortiAP variables.
cfg-meta-get GET List all variables.
cfg-set POST Add or change variables.
login POST Log in to FortiAP.
logout POST Log out from FortiAP.
radio-cfg GET Get current radios configuration parameters of the

control plane.
radio-cfg-rId GET Get specific radio configuration parameters of the

control plane.
reboot POST Reboot FortiAP.
sys-perf GET Get system performance values (CPU, memory).
sys-status GET Get system status (fap-get-status).
vap-cfg GET Get current SSIDs of the control plane.
vap-cfg-rId GET Get current SSIDs for each independent radios.
vap-cfg-rId-wId GET Get specific SSIDs for a specific radio.
wtp-cfg GET Get current FortiAP configuration parameters of the

control plane.

Copyright© 2019 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. Fortinet®, FortiGate®, FortiCare® and FortiGuard®, and certain other marks are registered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., in
the U.S. and other jurisdictions, and other Fortinet names herein may also be registered and/or common law trademarks of Fortinet. All other product or company names may be
trademarks of their respective owners. Performance and other metrics contained herein were attained in internal lab tests under ideal conditions, and actual performance and
other results may vary. Network variables, different network environments and other conditions may affect performance results. Nothing herein represents any binding
commitment by Fortinet, and Fortinet disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, except to the extent Fortinet enters a binding written contract, signed by Fortinet’s
General Counsel, with a purchaser that expressly warrants that the identified product will perform according to certain expressly-identified performance metrics and, in such
event, only the specific performance metrics expressly identified in such binding written contract shall be binding on Fortinet. For absolute clarity, any such warranty will be
limited to performance in the same ideal conditions as in Fortinet’s internal lab tests. In no event does Fortinet make any commitment related to future deliverables, features or
development, and circumstances may change such that any forward-looking statements herein are not accurate. Fortinet disclaims in full any covenants, representations, and
guarantees pursuant hereto, whether express or implied. Fortinet reserves the right to change, modify, transfer, or otherwise revise this publication without notice, and the most
current version of the publication shall be applicable.

FortiWiFi FortiAP 6.2.0 Configuration Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FortiWiFi FortiAP 6.2.0 Configuration Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

FortiWiFi FortiAP 6.2.0 Configuration Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the main components of a wireless network?

What are the main components of a wireless network?

What are the different wireless management topologies discussed in the document?

What are the different wireless management topologies discussed in the document?

FortiWiFi and FortiAP - Configuration Guide

July 25, 2019

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Access point configuration 40

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Authorizing leaf APs 71

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Protected Management Frames and Opportunistic Key Caching support 99

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Asymmetric power issue 134

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Date Change description

2019-03-29 Initial release. See What's new in this release on page 9.

2019-04-23 Updates include the addition of:

2019-07-25 Added Reserved VLAN IDs on page 15.

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

FortiOS 6.2.0 wireless includes the following new features:

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Wireless network equipment

This section includes an overview of Fortinet wireless network equipment:

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

A FortiWiFi unit is a FortiGate with a built-in Wi-Fi. A FortiWiFi unit can:

Wireless management topologies

Integrated wireless management

For the integrated wireless management of access points, you can:

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Dedicated wireless controller

Related products for wireless networks

This section discusses wireless network related products offered by Fortinet.

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Conceptual view of FortiGate WiFi controller configuration

SSIDs on FortiWiFi units

Reserved VLAN IDs

FortiAP model VLAN ID reserved for internal use

FAP-C24JE 898 and 899

FAP-S221E, FAP-S223E, FAP-221E, FAP-222E, FAP-223E, and FAP-224E 97 and 98

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

Wireless network configuration tasks

To configure a wireless network, perform the following tasks:

Setting your geographic location

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

To change the location setting - CLI

To change the country to France, for example, enter

Country- Region- Domain ISO- Name

0 A FCC3 & FCCA NA NO_COUNTRY_SET

8 W NULL1 & WORLD AL ALBANIA

12 W NULL1 & WORLD DZ ALGERIA

16 A FCC3 & FCCA AS AMERICAN SAMOA

... ... ... ... ...

Creating a FortiAP profile

FortiWiFi and FortiAP Configuration Guide Fortinet Technologies Inc.

On FortiGate model 30D, GUI configuration of FortiAP Profiles is disabled by default. To

config system settings

To configure a FortiAP profile - GUI