Technical Tip: Understanding Forward Traffic Behavior according to tunnel mode in SSIDs

[emmanuelgonzalez914]

Description	This article explains the differences in forward traffic for SSID configured in bridge mode and tunnel mode on FortiGate devices.
Scope	FortiGate, FortiAP.
Solution	Basic difference between the Bridge Mode and the Tunnel Mode. Bridge Mode (Local Bridge):  In bridge mode, the wireless interface is bridged with a wired interface, effectively making them part of the same Layer 2 broadcast domain. This allows devices connected via wireless to communicate directly with devices on the wired network as if they were on the same physical LAN. Tunnel Mode: In tunnel mode, traffic from wireless clients is encapsulated and sent to the FortiGate through a virtual interface, separating it from the wired network. This mode routes wireless traffic to a different subnet or through specific policies. To understand the distinction between bridge mode and tunnel mode in depth explanation please read: Technical Tip: SSID Local bridge vs Tunnel mode. Forward Traffic in Bridge Mode: When an SSID is configured in bridge mode, the FortiGate treats the AP as a physical interface causing the following behaviors. In Forward Traffic, neither AP Serial or Physical AP will be visible: Forward Traffic in Tunnel Mode: When SSID is configured in tunnel mode, the traffic from workstations is encapsulated and sent to FortiGate for processing. In Forward Traffic --> AP Serial and Physical AP will be visible:

[bkarl]

Thanks to share your knowledge. Keep doing great job!