Configuring switches for roaming VLANs

Topic

This article discusses how to configure your switches for roaming VLANs

Environment

  • Datto and third-party switches

Description

Datto Networking features a mechanism that allows your devices to roam seamlessly between different access points in a non-bridged SSID. Note that bridged SSIDs have seamless roaming enabled by nature.

This mechanism requires the Ethernet switches in the LAN to be configured to forward VLAN tagged traffic (only some VIDs). Here's what to do:

  1. Dumb switches (which usually do not have a configuration interface) forward any kind of traffic without the need of applying any particular setting. Therefore, users with this kind of switch do not need to do anything.
  2. Smart switches need to be explicitly configured to permit VLAN tagged traffic to go through.

These are the VLAN IDs that need to be allowed, either globally or only on ports with a Datto device attached:

Firmware ng560 and above:

  • 991 - Used for SSID 1 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
  • 992 - Used for SSID 2 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
  • 993 - Used for SSID 3 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
  • 994 - Used for SSID 4 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled

Firmware ng500-560:

  • 989

Firmware ng481:

  • 998

Firmware ng462-480: (Only if bridge mode is enabled)

  • 999

The VLANs are used for mesh traffic only and do not need to be routed out to the Internet.