Where is NBAR supported on the WLC?

NBAR relies on the WLC inspecting traffic flows to identify applications using deep packet inspection. When a WLAN is configured for central switching, all client traffic is tunneled back to the WLC via CAPWAP, giving the controller full visibility into the payloads needed for NBAR classification. Local switching bypasses the WLC entirely, making NBAR impossible for those WLANs.

Autonomous APs operate independently of a WLC and do not have CAPWAP tunnels back to a controller, so WLC-based NBAR features do not apply to them.

Wireless Bridge Groups (WBGs) are used for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bridging and do not support NBAR inspection through the WLC.

WLANs configured for local switching (FlexConnect local mode) forward traffic directly at the AP without passing through the WLC, so the controller has no visibility into the traffic and cannot apply NBAR.