topic Re: Can't set 1700 CAP to Autonomous once WLC has Provisioned it in Wireless

Can't set 1700 CAP to Autonomous once WLC has Provisioned it

Dean Romanelli — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 15:20:39 GMT

Hi All,

I have an international site with a failed 1602 access point that I've instructed the local branch manager to replace with a Cisco 1702. I have this site using AP's in autonomous mode - no WLC. Whenever I field 1702's, the first thing I do is capwap ap autonomous to force the unified image to load standalone IOS.

However, when this new AP arrived, they took it to their head office about 5 minutes up the street, which is a different site that has a WLC and lightweight CAP's. They plugged it into the network for POE, ran a console cable from it to a PC, started Teamviewer and told me it is ready for configuration and that once I was finished they would take it over to the other site to replace the failed unit.

When I got onto the PC and consoled into the AP, I found that the WLC took the liberty of provisioning the AP as one of it's own, since it was on the network, and now I cannot convert the image to autonomous mode.

AP3890.a5d0.9440#capwap ap auton

Convert to Autonomous image. Proceed? (yes/[no]): yes

No Autonomous image found! Conversion failed.

AP3890.a5d0.9440#show ver
Cisco IOS Software, C1700 Software (AP3G2-K9W8-M), Version 15.3(3)JA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2015 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Wed 01-Jul-15 18:19 by prod_rel_team

ROM: Bootstrap program is C1700 boot loader
BOOTLDR: C1700 Boot Loader (AP3G2-BOOT-M) LoaderVersion 15.3() [ TRUE]

AP3890.a5d0.9440 uptime is 17 minutes
System returned to ROM by power-on
System image file is "flash:/ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA4/ap3g2-k9w8-xx.153-3.JA4"

Is this because it's already been provisioned as a CAP and the "flag" that allows me to choose the mode is gone now? I know when I do capwap ap autonomous on a successful model that once it boots into autonomous mode I cannot set it back to lightweight mode, so I am wondering if the reverse is going on now or if it is a different problem?

Re: Can't set 1700 CAP to Autonomous once WLC has Provisioned it

Flavio Miranda — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 17:03:08 GMT

Hi @Dean Romanelli

The process will may be not so simple but it is actually simple. You need to have a TFTP server, which can be your own machine and a autonomous image:

Console to the AP and issue:

This command permit you to access conf t

debug capwap console cli

Add ip address and gateway to talk to a TFTP server:

AP5475.d0f5.2ee7#conf t
AP5475.d0f5.2ee7(config)#ip default-gateway x.x.x.x
AP5475.d0f5.2ee7(config)#int g0
AP5475.d0f5.2ee7(config-if)#ip address x.x.x.x 255.255.255.0
AP5475.d0f5.2ee7(config-if)#no sh

Point to a TFTP server to get the autonomous image:

archive download-sw /force-reload /overwrite tftp://y.y.y.y/AP-image.JA.tar

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-

Re: Can't set 1700 CAP to Autonomous once WLC has Provisioned it

Dean Romanelli — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 19:01:21 GMT

Thanks Flavio. However, I am curious as to whether or not my AP was just shipped to me without the proper unified firmware on it, or if the WLC auto provisioning it once it was connected to the network removed some kind of one-time flag that lets you toggle between CAP or SAP. For example, when I set a 1702 to boot into autonomous mode, I can't boot it back to lightweight mode. So I am wondering if you let a WLC provision your CAP in it's default mode, is that action what makes it so you can no longer boot into autonomous mode or is it coincidence?

Basically I told them not to plug it into the network for this very reason and it looks like they did it anyway. So I am trying to figure out if this is a self-inflicted injury or if I need to tell my vendor they gave me the wrong firmware.

Re: Can't set 1700 CAP to Autonomous once WLC has Provisioned it

Flavio Miranda — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 19:45:31 GMT

I dont think this happen because they connect the AP to the WLC but it is a characteristic on the AP mode and version.

There are some discussions around it here on the forum:

https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/getting-started-with-wireless/how-to-convert-an-ap-1700-2700-from-lightweight-mode-to/td-p/2571808

-If I helped you somehow, please, rate it as useful.-