topic Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue in Wireless

2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

AlfianZaini — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 23:34:07 GMT

Hi all,

I would like to get a clarification on this issue. The firmware update appears to be completed based on the provided screenshots. However, after verifying the WLC and APs over GUI and CLI, the version has not changed and still shows as 8.5.131.0 via GUI and CLI. The upgrade was intended to be from 8.5.131.0 to 8.10.196.0.

Any ideas about the issue? or do we need to perform the upgrade via CLI?

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

jagan.chowdam — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 02:04:20 GMT

Did you reboot ME AP once you pre-download the image?

You can refer the blogpost - https://www.wiresandwi.fi/blog/cisco-mobility-express-software-upgrade

Jagan Chowdam

/**Pls rate useful responses**/

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

AlfianZaini — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 03:29:17 GMT

Yes already rebooted AP and controller but it remains the same.

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

liviu.gheorghe — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:37:55 GMT

@AlfianZaini can you login into your ME controller telnet/ssh or console port of the ME and issue the show boot command and share the output?

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

AlfianZaini — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 03:11:46 GMT

hi sir,

here is the output. Appreciate your next advise

(Cisco Controller) >show boot
Primary Boot Image............................... 8.5.131.0 (default) (active)
Backup Boot Image................................ 0.0.0.0

(Cisco Controller) >

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

TsvetanVladimirov7864 — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:39:53 GMT

Hi Guys,

I have the same issue.

Mobility-Express Controller.
After upgrade from 8.5 to 8.10, the APs seemingly get the 8.10 version, they join the already upgraded controller and stay like that for a moment, then crash and go back to 8.5.

This process seems to be going indefinitely.
AP then boots up 8.5, sees that the controller is 8.10 and goes in downloading state, but then, the AP discovers that it already has the same 8.10 version and aborts the download.
It boots 8.10 version, joins the controllers for a second, crashes and so on, and so on...

How can I remove the broken 8.10 version from the APs, so that they try to download it again without having to upgrade the controller again?

Thanks again for your help.

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

Rich R — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:55:23 GMT

That is not the same issue @TsvetanVladimirov7864 since your ME controller seems to have upgraded ok.

Disconnect your ME controller, change your APs to CAPWAP mode (if not already), manually install 8.10.196.0 CAPWAP image on the APs from TFTP server (assuming that's the version you upgraded to but did not not actually specify). Then reconnect the controller and let them join.

Re: 2800 APs and 3800 Controller - Firmware Upgrade issue

Rich R — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:59:54 GMT

@AlfianZaini ME upgrades have always been troublesome and going from an old 8.5 version to latest 8.10 they are probably running out of flash space (common well known problem).

Backup your controller config.
Convert all the APs to CAPWAP mode.
Install the 8.10.196.0 CAPWAP image to the APs from a TFTP server using the AP CLI.
Then convert the APs you want to use as ME controller to ME using the ME conversion process.
Then restore your config which you backed up at the start.