Cisco WLC AP Failover Priority for Critical APs
Short answer
D Assign priority level 4 (Critical) to AP12 to ensure it always connects to WLC1 during failover=overload scenarios.
Question
Key Takeaways
The question tests knowledge of Cisco WLC AP failover priority mappings, where the common trap is assuming 'Critical' maps to level 1 instead of 4.
This guide explains how to configure Cisco WLC AP failover priority levels. It establishes that a critical access point must be assigned priority level 4 to ensure it always connects to its primary controller.
Common mistake: Choosing option A (1) because users mistakenly associate 'Critical' with the highest or first priority numerically, rather than understanding the Low (1) to Critical (4) ascending scale.
Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
In Cisco wireless LAN controller configurations, AP failover priority dictates which APs are allowed to join a controller when it reaches its maximum AP capacity. The priority levels are numerically represented from 1 to 4, where 4 is the highest priority reserved for critical APs. Because AP12 is explicitly designated as a critical AP that must always connect to WLC1, it must be assigned priority level 4 (Option D).
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Options A, B, and C correspond to Low (1), Medium (2), and High (3) priorities respectively. Assigning any of these lower priority levels to AP12 would risk it being disconnected from WLC1 if the controller reaches its AP capacity and needs to shed lower-priority APs. Only Critical (4) guarantees the AP will maintain its connection under such circumstances.
Community Comment Notes
The community correctly points out the exact mapping of the priority levels, with Bembs noting the "Critical - 4 High - 3 Medium - 2 Low - 1" hierarchy. Raresalexa_22 provided the official configuration definitions, confirming that "Critical—Assigns the access point to the" level 4 priority, which is the highest failover tier.
Exam Strategy
Memorize the exact numerical mapping for AP failover priorities: Low is 1, Medium is 2, High is 3, and Critical is 4. Remember that the highest numerical value represents the highest priority for AP retention during controller overload.
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. 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
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Bembs 👍 3 Answered DCritical - 4 High - 3 Medium - 2 Low - 1
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raresalexa_22 👍 2 Answered DFrom the AP Failover Priority drop-down list, choose one of the following options to specify the priority of the access point: • Low—Assigns the access point to the level 1 priority, which is the lowest priority level. This is the default value. • Medium—Assigns the access point to the level 2 priority. • High—Assigns the access point to the level 3 priority. • Critical—Assigns the access point to the level 4 priority, which is the highest priority level. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/7-6/configuration-guide/b_cg76/b_cg76_chapter_01110001.pdf
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Farhad123 👍 1D is correct
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