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sachitdas_FTNT
Staff
Staff
February 19, 2018

Technical Tip: Auto authorization of FortiAP

  • February 19, 2018
  • 0 replies
  • 8241 views

Description

 
This article describes the steps to authorize FortiAP automatically.


Scope

 
FortiGate & FortiAP.


Solution

 
Use the following steps to authorize a FortiAP automatically.
 
  1. Enable the following option on the respective interface from where the FortiAP will be discovered:

 

dedicated to fortiswitch               ----> Enable this in GUI.

set auto-auth-extension-device enable  ----> Enable this in CLI.

set ap-discover enable                 ----> Enable this in CLI.


For example:

 

config system interface

    edit "internal1"

        set vdom "root"
        set fortilink enable
        set ip 42.42.42.1 255.255.255.0
        set allowaccess ping capwap
        set vlanforward enable
        set type physical
        set snmp-index 19
        set auto-auth-extension-device enable
        set ap-discover enable

 
It can also be enabled on the GUI under Network -> Interfaces -> FortiLink interface. 
 
Screenshot 2026-02-01 115442.png

 

  1. Check the DHCP server config.
By default, vci-match is enabled, and vci-string is configured as 'FortiSwitch', 'FortiExtender'.
In this case, make one more change on the DHCP server for this interface and add the VCI string as FortiAP or disable vci-match.

For example:
 
config system dhcp server
(server) # edit 16
(16) # show
config system dhcp server
    edit 16
        set dns-service default
        set ntp-service local
        set default-gateway 42.42.42.1
        set netmask 255.255.255.0
        set interface "internal1"
            config ip-range
                edit 1
                    set start-ip 42.42.42.2
                    set end-ip 42.42.42.254
                next
            end
        set timezone-option default
        set vci-match enable      
----> Either disable this.

Or:
 
set vci-string "FortiAP"   ----> Or add this option.

After a little time, the FortiAP will come online automatically and will not have to be authorized manually.
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