Cisco 9800 FlexConnect Local Switching – Policy Profile Walkthrough

This walkthrough covers FlexConnect on a Catalyst 9800 with a mixed central-switch and local-switch design. It demonstrates how WLAN profiles map to policy profiles, how policy tags bind SSIDs to switching behavior, and how the site tag and Flex profile convert APs into Flex mode. The example uses multiple SSIDs with different VLAN outcomes (central VLAN on the controller versus locally switched VLANs on the AP), highlighting the required trunking and VLAN awareness at the AP.

Key validation points include DHCP behavior for locally switched clients (no WLC SVI or proxy), correct VLAN placement at the access switch, and tag assignment impacts that cause AP rejoin events when mode changes occur. The video also covers where ACLs must be applied for local switching (both policy profile and Flex profile so they are pushed to the AP data path) and how to verify tag, profile, and client policy state using show commands (Cisco).

Works Cited:

1. Cisco Systems. Understand FlexConnect on Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controller. Cisco, IOS-XE 17.9.x, technical configuration guide, Updated: May 22, 2024.