WLC

Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) is a network device that centralizes the management of multiple wireless access points (APs) in a campus or enterprise network. By separating control logic from the data plane, a WLC provides centralized configuration, policy enforcement, security, and monitoring for the wireless infrastructure. APs in a WLC-managed network typically function as lightweight or 'thin' clients that receive instructions from the controller.

Commonly, WLCs communicate with APs over a CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) protocol or a vendor-specific equivalent. The controller handles RF management tasks such as channel selection, power levels, interference mitigation, client roaming decisions, and load balancing across APs. It also enforces security policies, guest access, and integrated firewall or VPN features when available, and performs firmware updates and inventory management from a central console.

Deployment models vary: on-premises WLC appliances that reside in data centers or network closets, and cloud-based WLC services that run as a software-defined control plane. Organizations choosing a WLC often cite centralized visibility, consistent policy, simplified provisioning, and scalable AP management as advantages. Drawbacks can include reliance on the controller for control-plane functions and potential single points of failure, though redundancy and high-availability designs mitigate this.

Other abbreviations for WLC exist in different contexts, such as organizations or technologies outside networking, but in networking literature WLC almost always refers to Wireless LAN Controller.