topic Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME in Wireless

C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

beconnect — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:35:06 GMT

Hi all

we have an ME deployment with two1852i

now we bought 4x C9115AXI-EWC-E

can you tell me if its better to create the Ewc new deployment and then join 1852i as “members” of the new “cluster”? ( assuming upgrade to 8.10 on the ME)

Are they compatible or should I leave the ME as it is , and create a new enviroment with the new 9115?

regards

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:16:40 GMT

I think you are okay either way. Just depends on how much work you want to do. You can always just add the new ap's to the cluster and then promote one of the ap's later.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Prince.O — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 01:03:34 GMT

EWC gives you new features and functionality , I would go with the 9115 as the embedded controller and have the 1852 joined as the lightweight Ap vs other way around , this is supported.. see deployment guide below:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/embedded-wireless-controller-on-catalyst-access-points/215303-embedded-wireless-controller-conversion.html

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

beconnect — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:02:15 GMT

Hi Alll

thanks for the help.

Seems cllear that we should go for the EWC cisco's 9115 as main controller and remove the old ME.

We should convert the old 1852i to Capwap to be able to join the "new EWC" correct?

What image versions are supported to have cisco 1852i to "talk" with EWC ?

Regards

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

emuman100 — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 11:45:01 GMT

Like the post above, what image is required for client APs on an EWC? Is is CAPWAP?

Thanks.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Prince.O — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 14:45:11 GMT

The image depends on the AP model in use, refer to the link below , it has instructions on how to convert to EWC as well as which image is required for each supported AP model :
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/embedded-wireless-controller-on-catalyst-access-points/215303-embedded-wireless-controller-conversion.html
In summary , you will have to download the .zip file from CCO and it will include all supported images

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Rich R — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 23:22:30 GMT

Agreed with Prince - EWC much preferred versus ME.
Compatibility matrix below lists all supported APs.
All current versions of IOS-XE for EWC will support the 1852's - suggest to start with 17.9.3.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 01:11:54 GMT

Just keep in mind, EWC is different from ME, so you need to be familiar with how it needs to be configured, best way to implement it and knowledge to support it. It's a balance...if you are very good at ME, EWC will still take you time to learn. You are better off to take one of the new ap's and play around with it and test. Make sure that clients can connect before you just try to switch things over.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

emuman100 — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 01:34:54 GMT

I followed this link for my first EWC AP. These instructions have you load the EWC image and the embedded WLC controller image. I configured it and it's running EWC and the AP the EWC is running on is the first associated AP of the EWC. That part is clear, but what is not clear is what image the other client APs have to have.

Do you simply load the EWC firmware image (eg. ap1g7) or do you load a CAPWAP image since it's running a 9800 WLC as an EWC? In the documentation, that wasn't very clear.

Thanks.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 03:19:22 GMT

The readme file in the zip has instructions. If you use the bin file, then that will allow that ap to be a controller, the other files is if you want to allow the ap to join. Take a look at the readme file and that should clear it up.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

JPavonM — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:51:11 GMT

@emuman100 to join new APs to EWC you need to setup an external TFTP server where you unzip the corresponding package you downloaded (not the bin one) and setup this TFTP server in the EWC like this:
wireless profile image-download default
image-download.mode tftp
tftp-image-path /
tftp-image-server a.b.c.d

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

JPavonM — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:58:59 GMT

My advice is if you are mixing AP generations (AP1852 is Gen5 and C9115 is Gen6) try to reduce the overlapped areas at most between them, becuase otherwise clients could disconnect while roaming due to the differences in the re-association packet with regards of the previous ocnnection, thus potentially making user experience to be impacted, for example during meetings or voice calls.

You can opt to split AP model by floors or separated areas, or mix them in non-critical office spaces.

HTH

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

beconnect — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:11:37 GMT

Thanks for the help

Indeed I am going to separate Wifi zones. Enabling 2 different vlans for old and new deployment.

Regards

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:19:44 GMT

Can you clarify what you mean by separate WiFi zones? If for example you have one floor and on the left is the older ap's and on the right are the newer ap's, why would you separate them using vlans? I don't know why you would want to do that, and especially if you are talking about clients, because roaming will break if a device roams from one to another. Maybe I'm not understanding your end design.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

beconnect — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:35:35 GMT

In the first thinking, there was a possible mix with old 1852i in the same building, that i think it was not good , likely because of the different technology of 1852 regarding 9115.

But now , we do not have more that problem, since we are going to use the "new solution" in a different building with a new SSID and for that a new Vlan.

For you is good and possible to have a mix of 9115 and 1852i? same SSID?

If it's possible you can do that, but we have to convert 20x 1852i , removing the "ME" and put them under the EWC. That could be a good practice, if the conversion works good, because in that scenario we will have only one VLAN and one SSID , avoiding Roaming situations 😉

Regards

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

emuman100 — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:39:47 GMT

The readme does not mention anything. I know how to load an image and I know I need an external TFTP server, but I still don't know *which* image to load on a client AP, whether an EWC image without the WLC image or a CAPWAP image. I can't really find anything on it in the documentation.

In the Linux, it shows that it loads capwapd, so do client APs need to be CAPWAP?

Thanks.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:49:20 GMT

In an overall design, you want to limit the number of SSID's no matter what. Also, when you look at the overall picture, you want consistency. You want to have the same SSID's on all building and the same plans in all building, that is how 99.99% of folks do it. That way a user can go from one building to another without having to figure out what SSID to connect to. Also for support, having plans the same makes it easy. Wired corp on vlan x, guest on vlan x and whatever on vlan x.

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:58:22 GMT

This is from the readme.

CW_BEGIN
FAMILY: C9800-AP
IMAGE: C9800-AP-universalk9.17.09.03.SPA.bin <-- This is to make the AP an EWC capable controller or to upgrade/downgrade/convert.
DESCRIPTION: Cisco IOS Software, IOS-XE Software
VERSION: 17.09.03
FULL_VERSION: 17.09.03.0.4111.1678842030..Cupertino
CW_END
AP IMAGES AND MODELS:
ap3g3 : AP380x, AP280x, AP156x, AP480x
ap1g4 : AP181x, AP183x, AP185x
ap1g5 : AP1815, AP154x, AP184x
ap1g6 : C9117
ap1g7 : C9115, C9120 <-- This is the image you need to make the ap capable of joining a controller.
ap1g6a : C9124, C9130
ap1g8 : C9105, WP-WIFI6, ISR-AP1101AX

Release Notes:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/ewc/17-9/rel-notes/ewc-rn-17-9-x.html#Cisco_Concept.dita_0258662d-50d1-4a47-8b6f-310619f76738

EWC Conversion:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/embedded-wireless-controller-on-catalyst-access-points/215303-embedded-wireless-controller-conversion.html

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

beconnect — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 17:02:21 GMT

Good.
So..

Can I convert existing 1852i and 1832i to be managed by the new EWC 9115?

Can you share the image that we need to run on the old ones ?

If so I will convert all the old ones , removing the ME and create the EWC with the new Cisco 9115.

Thanks

Re: C9115AXI-EWC-E Mixed with AP 1852i ME

Scott Fella — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 17:04:44 GMT

The image is in the zip file you have downloaded. According to the readme file, this is the image you need for the 1852:
ap1g4 : AP181x, AP183x, AP185x