Embodiments of the present invention provide a data forwarding control method and system, a controller, and an access device. The method includes: after receiving a first control request of a first access point AP, obtaining, by a first controller, a network address of the first AP, where the first control request is used to request the first controller to manage the first AP; sending a network address of a first forwarding device to the first AP, instructing the first AP to send user data to the first forwarding device, sending the network address of the first AP and a predefined data forwarding rule to the first forwarding device, and instructing the first forwarding device to forward the user data of the first AP according to the predefined data forwarding rule. The present invention implements control, by a controller, on AP service data forwarding, and improves a WLAN throughput.