Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Which statement best describes a lightweight access point in a controller-based WLAN?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
It performs all management and control functions independently
That better describes an autonomous AP.
B
Best answer
It relies on a wireless LAN controller for centralized management and policy
Correct. Lightweight APs rely on the WLC for centralized control.
C
Distractor review
It can support only a single SSID
They can support multiple SSIDs.
D
Distractor review
It cannot use PoE
Many lightweight APs are commonly powered via PoE.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is selecting the option that a lightweight AP performs all management and control functions independently, which actually describes an autonomous AP. Candidates often confuse lightweight APs with standalone APs because both provide wireless access, but lightweight APs depend on a wireless LAN controller for centralized management. Misunderstanding this dependency can lead to incorrect answers about their capabilities, such as assuming they cannot support multiple SSIDs or cannot use PoE, which are false. Recognizing the fundamental difference between lightweight and autonomous APs is essential to avoid this trap.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
A lightweight access point (AP) in a controller-based WLAN architecture functions primarily as a remote radio head that depends on a centralized wireless LAN controller (WLC) for its management and control functions. Unlike autonomous APs, lightweight APs do not independently handle tasks such as authentication, encryption, or RF management. Instead, they forward all control and management traffic to the WLC, which centralizes policy enforcement, security settings, and network-wide configuration. This design simplifies large-scale WLAN deployments by offloading complex functions to the controller. The decision to use lightweight APs revolves around centralized management benefits. The WLC manages multiple lightweight APs, enabling consistent policy application, seamless roaming, and simplified firmware upgrades across the wireless network. Lightweight APs rely on protocols like CAPWAP (Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) to communicate with the WLC. This architecture contrasts with autonomous APs, which operate independently and require individual configuration. Lightweight APs can support multiple SSIDs and are often powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE), making them flexible for enterprise environments. A common exam trap is confusing lightweight APs with autonomous APs, assuming lightweight APs perform all management locally. This misunderstanding leads to incorrect assumptions about their capabilities and deployment. In practice, lightweight APs cannot function without a WLC, and their configuration is minimal on the device itself. Understanding this dependency is crucial for CCNA candidates, as it impacts network design decisions and troubleshooting approaches in controller-based WLANs.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A lightweight access point depends on a wireless LAN controller to perform centralized management and control functions in a controller-based WLAN.
- The wireless LAN controller centralizes policy enforcement, security settings, and firmware management for all connected lightweight APs.
- Lightweight APs communicate with the wireless LAN controller using the CAPWAP protocol to forward control and management traffic.
- Unlike autonomous APs, lightweight APs do not independently handle authentication, encryption, or RF management tasks.
- Lightweight APs can support multiple SSIDs and are commonly powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE) in enterprise deployments.
- Autonomous APs perform all management functions locally and do not require a wireless LAN controller to operate.
- Understanding the dependency of lightweight APs on a wireless LAN controller is critical to correctly designing and troubleshooting controller-based WLANs.
- Confusing lightweight APs with autonomous APs is a common exam trap that leads to incorrect assumptions about their capabilities.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
CCNA DHCP practice questions
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
CCNA show ip route practice questions
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
CCNA show interfaces trunk practice questions
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
CCNA wireless security practice questions
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
CCNA IPv6 practice questions
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
A lightweight access point depends on a wireless LAN controller to perform centralized management and control functions in a controller-based WLAN.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It relies on a wireless LAN controller for centralized management and policy — In a controller-based wireless design, lightweight APs depend on a wireless LAN controller for centralized policy and management functions.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.