WLC 4400 - Change IP address

Question

Hi,
We have a WLC4400 controller with about 30 LAP. We moving to a new IP scope and was wondering what is the best way to change the IP address of the controller. We have tried doing this via GUI however we have to power cycle the controller to get it back online using the old ip address.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Mark,
Have you checked if there is any DNS entry for below name?
CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.localdomain
Also verify if DHCP Option 43 is configured on the network which also gives the information about the WLC to the AP's.
As far as im aware there is no way you can identify how exsisting AP has already registered with WLC
But you could try below when a new AP register witht he controller.To view the method used by an AP to discover the controller, view the console output of the AP as it searches, or issue the following command from a controller that receives the discovery request and search for IE 58 from the AP which indicates the discovery method used to resolve the controller IP address:
debug capwap packet enable
CAPWAP Discovery Packet IE 58 values:
0 = Broadcast
1 = Local NVRAM
2 = OTAP
3 = DHCP
4 = DNS
Example 1 – AP Console Log indicates DHCP discovery
*Mar  1 00:00:30.287: Logging LWAPP message to 255.255.255.255.
%DHCP-6-ADDRESS_ASSIGN: Interface FastEthernet0 assigned DHCP address 192.168.1.20, mask 255.255.255.0, hostname AP0018.7361.e702
Translating "CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER.test.lab"...domain server (10.97.40.216)
%LWAPP-3-CLIENTEVENTLOG: Performing DNS resolution for CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER
%LWAPP-3-CLIENTERRORLOG: DNS Name Lookup: could not resolve CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER
%LWAPP-3-CLIENTEVENTLOG: Controller address 10.108.50.20 obtained through DHCP
%LWAPP-5-CHANGED: LWAPP changed state to JOIN
%LWAPP-5-CHANGED: LWAPP changed state to CFG
%LWAPP-5-CHANGED: LWAPP changed state to DOWN
%LWAPP-5-CHANGED: LWAPP changed state to UP
%LWAPP-3-CLIENTEVENTLOG: AP has joined controller CCIETEST
Example 2 – WLC LWAPP Packet Debug indicates DHCP discovery
(Cisco Controller) > debug lwapp packet enable
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Start of Packet
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Ethernet Source MAC (LRAD): 00:17:DF:96:9F:90
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Msg Type       :
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010:    DISCOVERY_REQUEST
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Msg Length     :   31
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Msg SeqNum     :   0
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010:
IE            :   UNKNOWN IE 58
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: IE Length     :   1
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: Decode routine not available, Printing Hex Dump
Wed Jan 3 10:55:32 2010: 00000000: 03                                   
Hope that helps.
Regards
Najaf