Which Cisco 5520 WLC License Is Needed for OfficeExtend APs?

300-425 By islever Editorial Last updated

Determine logical infrastructure requirements such as WLC/AP licensing requirements based on the type of wireless architecture Apply design requirements for these types of wireless networks

Short answer

A The Cisco 5520 WLC v8.3 needs only a base license installed and in use to enable OfficeExtend AP mode; no separate OEAP entitlement exists.

Question

An engineer is designing a new wireless network. Based on the design, OfficeExtend AP functionality must be used. Which type of license must the Cisco 5520 WLC v8.3 have?
  1. Base license Correct Answer
  2. OfficeExtend AP license
  3. WPlus license
  4. Plus license

Key Takeaways

It tests which controller license entitlement actually unlocks OfficeExtend AP mode, and the trap is assuming a feature-specific 'OfficeExtend AP license' exists as a purchasable option.

OfficeExtend Access Points (OEAPs) on a Cisco 5520 WLC running AireOS 8.3 are enabled by the controller's base license — there is no dedicated OfficeExtend AP license SKU. This page confirms the Base license (A) as the correct answer and explains why the Plus and WPlus tiers are irrelevant here.

Common mistake: Picking B, the 'OfficeExtend AP license' — no such Cisco license SKU exists; OfficeExtend is a controller software feature that you enable on supported Aironet AP models once a base license is installed and in use.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

The Cisco 5520 is a 5500/8500-class AireOS controller, and in release 8.3 the 'Configuring OfficeExtend Access Points' chapter lists a base license as the prerequisite for OEAP operation. As Lakshan__97 summarized in the thread, "a base license must be installed and in use on the Cisco WLC" before you can enable OfficeExtend mode on supported Aironet models. OEAPs then join the controller over their permanent DTLS tunnel to the DMZ-facing controller and are managed like any other joined AP, while still consuming controller AP capacity. Because the capability is bundled into the base entitlement, a design that calls for OfficeExtend does not require any incremental license purchase. That is exactly why Base license (A) is the answer.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option B describes a license that does not exist in Cisco's wireless licensing portfolio — OfficeExtend is not a separately licensed feature, so selecting 'OfficeExtend AP license' is a distractor built purely on plausible-sounding naming. Options C (WPlus) and D (Plus) are controller licensing tiers that scale AP/client capacity and related entitlements rather than acting as an on/off switch for OEAP mode; a plus-tier license neither enables OfficeExtend nor is required by it. Both tiers would be relevant only to a capacity question about how many APs the 5520 can terminate, not to feature enablement. On the 5520 running 8.3, the licensing prerequisite stays the base license, which is why the configuration guide's OfficeExtend prerequisites point there.

Community Comment Notes

The thread was effectively unanimous: every recorded vote selected Base license (A), and no commenter argued for WPlus, Plus, or an OEAP-specific SKU. jzzmth corroborated the key directly against vendor documentation, linking the Cisco 8.3 configuration guide chapter and noting "Given answer is correct" with answer A. crabb63 added the equivalent OfficeExtend chapter from the 8.7 guide as a cross-version sanity check, showing the prerequisite did not change across releases. Lakshan__97 supplied the decisive paraphrase of the guide text — base license installed and in use, then enable OfficeExtend mode on supported APs — which matches the answer statement above.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When a question pairs a specific controller model and AireOS release with a feature-enablement question, anchor your choice to the configuration guide's 'Before you begin' prerequisites rather than to license marketing tiers. For 5500/8500/5520-class controllers the OfficeExtend prerequisite is the base license, and any option named after the feature itself is almost always the distractor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a dedicated OfficeExtend AP license I must buy for the Cisco 5520?

No. OfficeExtend is a controller feature you enable on supported Aironet AP models once a base license is installed and in use; Cisco sells no separate OEAP license SKU.

Would a Plus or WPlus license be needed instead of the base license for OEAP?

No. Plus and WPlus are capacity/entitlement tiers for the controller; the OEAP prerequisite in the 8.3 configuration guide is the base license.

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Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 3

  1. Lakshan__97 👍 2 Answered A
    o use Cisco OEAPs, a base license must be installed and in use on the Cisco WLC. After the license is installed, you can enable the OfficeExtend mode on the supported Cisco Aironet AP models that support OfficeExtend mode.
  2. jzzmth 👍 1 Answered A
    Given answer is correct - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-3/config-guide/b_cg83/b_cg83_chapter_0110000.html
  3. crabb63 👍 1
    https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-7/config-guide/b_cg87/m_configuring_officeextend_access_points.html

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