Error generated When configuring Bridge via WLC CLI

Validation error: error: only one service-profile allowed in bridging mode

By design, the bridging mode allows only one service profile per WLA. The challenge is that when a WLA is configured via the CLI, its radios get mapped to the default radio-profile.

So, when you attempt to map one of the radios to a Bridging only radio-profile, the above error message is generated; as the other radio is mapped to the default radio profile.

The CLI takes one command at a time; unlike RingMaster, which performs an XML transaction to write the changes to the configuration.

Create the Bridge-rp radio profile:

Set radio-profile Bridge-rp
Set radio-profile Bridge-rp auto-tune channel-config disable

Bridging requires auto-tune channel config to be disabled.

Create Bridge APs/WLAs:

Set ap 100 serial-id 123123123 model MP-632
Set ap 101 serial-id 123123123 model MP-632

By default, the above commands configure the AP radios in the sentry mode. AP 100 is the portal AP and AP 101is the untethered AP.

Disable the radios on the untethered AP (AP101):

set ap 101 radio 1 mode disable
set ap 101 radio 2 mode disable


The untethered AP (AP101) can have its radios disabled. The static boot configuration takes precedence and instructs the AP to look for the bridge SSID. A bridging bit in the SSID beacon frame suggests the existence of a Bridge to AP 101.

Map Bridge AP radios to the Bridge-rp radio profile:

Set ap 100 radio 1 radio-profile Bridge-rp
Set ap 100 radio 2 radio-profile Bridge-rp


As seen above, the Bridge-rp radio profile needs to be mapped to only the AP 100 portal.

Create the Bridge-sp service profile with bridging as enabled:

set service-profile Bridge-sp mesh mode enable
set service-profile Bridge-sp bridging enable

The Mesh-mode needs to be enabled, prior to bridging, as it is a special case of Mesh. Additional service-profile attributes, such as ssid-name, ssid-type, and methods of authenticating Bridge APs, will be need to be considered and configured.

At this point, if you attempt to map the Bridge-sp service profile to the Bridge-rp radio profile, the following errors are generated:

error: profile is in use on AP 100, radio 1
error: profile is in use on AP 100, radio 2


The above errors will essentially not let you make changes to the radio profile, as it has AP radios mapped to it in sentry mode. Radios in enable mode will also produce the same errors.

1. Disable the bridging radio profile:
   

   set radio-profile Bridge-rp mode disable

2. Map the Bridge-sp service profile to the Bridge-rp radio profile:
   

   set radio-profile Bridge-rp service-profile Bridge-sp

3. Enable the Bridge-rp radio profile to establish a link:
   

   set radio-profile Bridge-rp mode enable

4. Disable unnecessary radios on Bridge APs as required:
   

   set ap 100 radio 1 mode disable   


This article only highlights the procedure to clinically map Bridge APs to the bridge service profile. Additional attributes for WLA/AP, radio profile, and service profile may have to be mapped accordingly, when creating individual entities. The static boot configuration for Bridge SSID will be required on the untethered AP/WLA.rbg