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Configure a WLAN Template

In the Juniper Mist portal, wireless LANs (WLANs) are modular elements that contain the security and other configuration settings for a service set identifier (SSID). A WLAN template is a collection of WLANs, access policies, and tunneling policies that you can use to streamline WLAN configuration and management at the organizational level.

WLAN templates are modular and can be attached different sites or device profiles. In this way, you can mix and match whichever permutation of WLAN, site, and APs you need to cover all the use cases in your organization. Your wireless clients will only see the SSIDs you want them to see.

When working with WLAN templates, it's generally best to create them after you've set up your sites, either before or after claiming the APs. To keep things clear in the Mist portal, it helps to give the WLAN template the same name as the WLAN/SSID (which is what the clients will see). The idea behind all this is that once all your sites, WLANs, WLAN templates, and device profiles have been created, it will then be easy to make the associations.

For each template, you can select which APs to include, that is, which APs will broadcast the SSID. If the settings in a given WLAN or WLAN template conflict with those specified for a given AP, or with those applied elsewhere to the site as a whole, you will be prompted to select which setting should take precedence.

Watch the video below for a quick overview.

Let's create a WLAN and get a client connected. In the older video, we showed you how to create a single WLAN, which worked just fine. Now from a lot of customer experience, we wanted to show you the proper workflow that will enable you to scale to as large as you want. We suggest you click the org tab and click configuration templates.

We don't have any, so let's create one. I'm calling it Matt main org. And now from here we can do some very cool things. Let's set up a WLAN and maybe a little more.

I'll call it Matt test and I do like to turn off legacy clients. This and all the other features on this screen will be covered elsewhere in the documentation. Let's just get a single PSK going. We can reveal it.

Where do we want to see this organization now? I have created some dummy sites, so let's say I want to see it in the whole org, but not in my RTP engineering site. And for fun, let's add a policy rule. Just to see how easy it is.

We add a rule on the user side, let's say the guest network which I configured earlier. And let's say we allow guests anywhere except Facebook. So we did a little bit more than just creating a WLAN, but it wasn't very hard, was it? Now let's move over to my MacBook Air and see if it's connected and it has, and by clicking the hamburger menu.

The amount of customization here is just amazing. Choose what you want to see. What where do you want to see it in? And there you have it.

Let's take a look at the experience from its point of view. We've got a browser window open. First, let's try Facebook. Not looking so good? Let's go to New York Times.

That's OK and maybe Yahoo usually works. Yep, it's working as we configured. Now back to the Mist Dashboard. Let's take a look at that client once again.

When we click in, we could see a lot more information about this client. And when I click insights, we see a whole lot more. In client events, we see every state change for this client, but I wanted to leave you with was showing you exactly what those block Facebook attempts look like.

To create a WLAN template:

  1. From the left menu of the Juniper Mist portal, select Organization > Wireless | WLAN Templates.
  2. Click Create Template at the top-right corner of the WLAN Templates page.
  3. In the New Template window, enter a Template Name, and then click Create.

    The name will appear in the WLAN Template list. It's generally most convenient to use the same name as the SSID, although it can be unique.

  4. Add at least one WLAN:
    1. Click Add WLAN.
    2. At minimum, enter an SSID name, select a Security Type, and set up VLAN(s).
    3. Enter other settings, as needed.
      Note: For tips about the various WLAN settings, see WLAN Options.
    4. Click Create at the bottom of the Create WLAN window.
      Juniper Mist generates a WLAN ID. Anytime that you need to look up this ID or edit your WLAN settings, simply click the WLAN in the WLAN list.
    5. If needed, repeat these steps to add more WLANs to this template.
  5. Specify the scope for this template by completing one or more of these sections:
    • Applies to—If you complete this section, the template is available only to the sites and site groups that you specify here. Click the add icon (+), and then select an option from the list. Repeat as needed to add more sites and site groups.
    • Except for—If you complete this section, the template is available to all sites except those that you specify here. Click the add icon (+), and then select an option from the list. Repeat as needed to add more sites.
    • Limited to—If you complete this section, the template is available only to APs with the device profiles that you specify here.
  6. As needed, define user access policies and/or support third-party tunnels.

    For help, see:

  7. Click Save at the top right-corner of the template page.