topic Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express in Wireless

Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:08:45 GMT

I Have some Cisco 1815i installed years ago in my house... years passed and I do not remember what I did at that time...

Now i got 2 additional 1815i from used market and wish to add them to the existing setup, increasing the AP density at home ( 300 square meters).

These 1815i need to be reset to factory default, I imagine... and I am looking to the procedure to do the job, some kind of step-by-step... macro steps.

Help, please.

Thanks

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

srimal99 — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:56:56 GMT

@SonusFaber This is old community link for factory reset

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/cisco-aironet-1815-series-factory-reset-set-up/td-p/4607599

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Flavio Miranda — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 09:35:45 GMT

@SonusFaber

The only thing you need to do is put them on the same network as the one you have installed. If they are Mobility express they will Join to the WLC.

If they do not Join, you need to convert them to Mobility express.

You can previously connect to them using console cable and check If they are Mobility express or not and If not do the installation

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:12:06 GMT

Reset using the mode button:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/1815/quick/guide/ap1815igetstart.html#pgfId-33648

If the AP is already running mobility express you can clear the ME config from login prompt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qbovoZiz54

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Stefan Mihajlov — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:23:03 GMT

To add your newly acquired Cisco 1815i access points to your existing Mobility Express setup, you’ll first need to reset them to factory defaults. Power on the AP, and once it has fully booted, press and hold the Mode button for about 10-12 seconds until the LED turns red, then release it. The AP will reset and reboot. Afterward, connect the APs to the same VLAN or subnet as your existing Mobility Express setup so they can discover and join the controller. Ensure that the new APs are running a compatible software version with your Mobility Express controller. Once discovered, the controller should guide you through the process of adding the APs to your network, allowing you to increase your wireless coverage and density effectively.

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:13:57 GMT

OK. This is what I did.
I have some 1815i APs already installed 8.10.185.0 SW version. All of them are "ME Capable", one is the Primary controller the other are Preferred Master.

I have powered the first additional 1815 AP, on the same Vlan as the existing ones, it boot, but no way to log into it once it got the IP from the DHCP. Since it was not new, but used, I reset to factory. Now I can no more access with SSH\Putty, but I can console it and access with Cisco/Cisco user/password.
Show version says it runs 8.4.100.0 SW version and also says
MOBILITY EXPRESS IMAGE
MOBILITY EXPRESS CAPABLE

Then i log into my ME controller and I see the additional AP as "CAPWAP" type, I select it and hit "convert to me" but it fails (Mode conversion not applicable, is the message)
Under the SOFTWARE UPDATE menu, the new AP is in "predownloading" status with "ImageReq to AP Failed" message

Suggestions? Thanks a lot.

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Flavio Miranda — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:51:09 GMT

The ME Controller does not have firmware to distribute to the AP. Your AP is 8.4 and you Controller is 8.10. Upgrade the AP to 8.10.

You can do this using the ME controler at Management > Software Update > File Path

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/8-2/b_Mobility_Express_Deployment_guide/b_Mobility_Express_Deployment_guide_chapter_01000.html

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:52:55 GMT

Ciao Flavio.

I upgraded several times in the past my APs, downloading the new SW from Cisco, uploaded to the Mobility Express and pushed the upgraded SW to AP from there.

Why the ME can not upgrade my new AP from 8.4 to 8.10 ?

Mybe my fault... I can not understand. Do I need to do it manually? How?

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Flavio Miranda — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:15:30 GMT

@SonusFaber

As you might know, Cisco WLC does AP upgrade for us as it is a more robust device and have space to store AP images and then distribute to APs.

But ME controller is actually another AP and dont have space to store AP images. That´s why the process of upgrading APs is not so simple.

You can try to upgrade the AP using TFTP server from you PC or you can use the link I share above and follow the instruction on "Updating Cisco Mobility Express network using GUI"

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:18:15 GMT

Yes do it manually.

8.4.100.0 is almost certainly too old to upgrade directly to 8.10 from ME itself.

Make sure the AP is in CAPWAP mode then install (from TFTP):
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JK9
Then it should be able to join your ME WLC.
archive download-sw /reload tftp://<tftp-server/ap1g5-k9w8-tar.153-3.JK9.tar

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:15:15 GMT

My subscription ended time ago, so I can not download https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JK9

Before it expired, I downloaded
AIR-AP1815-K9-ME-8-10-185-0.zip and
AIR-AP1815-K9-ME-8-10-190-0.zip
and installed the 185 release on my AP

Any way to use such packages?

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:52:10 GMT

> Any way to use such packages?
Use the ap1g5 file from the AIR-AP1815-K9-ME-8-10-185-0.zip bundle (unzip on TFTP server).

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:04:03 GMT

I already tried and this is the error I get:

Image donwloaded
Writing to Flash...
do PREDOWNLOAD, part2 is active part
upgrade.sh: Error: image not found

I am able to download

Cisco 1815 Series Mobility Express Release 8.10 Software,to be used for conversion from Lightweight Access Points only.

AIR-AP1815-K9-ME-8-10-185-0.tar

Same error as the above.

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Flavio Miranda — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:02:09 GMT

Do you have the TFTP server properly configured on yout PC? The error message seems to say the it can not find the image.

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:07:44 GMT

First: did you make sure the AP was in CAPWAP mode before trying to upgrade?

This is why I recommended using a standard CAPWAP image, because ME upgrades are notoriously unreliable.
I think you're going to have to find any fairly recent CAPWAP image to upgrade it to before trying to install the correct ME version.
Try searching for any ap1g5-k9w8-tar.153-3.JK<9/10/11>.tar file.

Another approach you can try to get the software directly from Cisco TAC ...
Find a recent security advisory and find the section which says "Customers without Service Contracts" then contact TAC quoting the URL of the advisory, the paragraph just mentioned and the version and URL https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JK9 for the software you want to download and serial number of your AP. You'll have to mention which platform you need it for (1815i). Then TAC should publish it to you directly.

This advisory should be suitable: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller AireOS Software FIPS Mode Denial of Service Vulnerability because CSCwa40778 : Bug Search Tool (cisco.com) is fixed in 8.10.185.0.

"Customers Without Service Contracts

Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco TAC: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/tsd-cisco-worldwide-contacts.html

Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade."

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:16:10 GMT

We need to see complete logs but I think it managed to download the file:
Image donwloaded
Writing to Flash...

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:35:15 GMT

I am unable to download the file you suggested:
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JK9

But (do not why...) I can download this one:
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/17.16.1

Is it anyway good for the job? Do not want to try something that will brick my AP....

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:43:29 GMT

I am unable to download the file you suggested:
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JK9

But (do not why...) I can download this one:
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/17.16.1

Is it anyway good for the job? Do not want to try something that will brick my AP....

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Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

Rich R — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:49:09 GMT

Because 8.4 is so old Cisco will never test upgrading from such an old version so the results could be unpredictable.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/17-16/release-notes/rn-17-16-9800.html#Cisco_Concept.dita_59a2987f-2633-4630-8c7b-a8e8aecdeaf7
As you can see the upgrade path is only defined for APs already running at least 8.9 or 8.10 releases.
It shouldn't brick the AP. If it doesn't work it will likely just mean the install fails (most likely due to disk partition not being big enough).
You could also look through the 8.5 releases as a recent 8.5 release might also work and would be a much safer option.
For the mapping between WLC version and AP software version refer to the Compatibility Matrix link below.
FYI: 17.16.1 is the first release where the AP software version now matches the WLC software version naming/numbering.

Re: Adding AP 1815 to existing Mobility Express

SonusFaber — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:22:31 GMT

I am confused... but I appreciate a lot you effort to support me.

Try to recap: the AP is AIR-AP1815i-E-K9 version 8.4.100.0
I understand that this can work as CAPWAP or ME.
If i show the version it says
AP IMAGE TYPE = ME IMAGE
AP CONFIG = ME CAPABLE

1) Why if I connect this AP on the LAN it pops up into my existing ME as type = CAPWAP and not ME ?
2) Why are you suggesting to me to upgrade with LIGHTWEIGHT AP SW and not ME ?
In the past I peridically upgraded my APs and always I did it with ME SW, not the LIGHTWEIGHT