topic Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L in Wireless

Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller Loop!

Cap-24 — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 14:54:47 GMT

I am trying to connect a replacement Cisco Air-Cap-1552E that I am trying to connect to our WLC5508. . It says required image not found on AP, downloading image from controller. It looks like the device is stuck in a downloading software and reboot loop that it can't get out of. If you need to direct me to another post of this problem if it is common, that is fine. Appreciate some advice on next step to resolve this issue.

AP Model - AIR-CAP1552E-A-K9,

WLC 5508 - Software code 8.3.133.0

Current Image on same access points in production - c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11

Current Image on new Access point trying to connect to WLC - c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD17

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Mark Elsen — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:28:18 GMT

- Probably due to the fact that the ap is running a more
recent version then the needed production image currently used on the 5508.
Factory reset the ap and install c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11 manually on it ,

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:50:13 GMT

@Mark Elsen - Thanks for that advice. Can you let me know the best way to do a factory reset via CLI commands once I am logged in. For this model the reset option via the button just does not work.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Mark Elsen — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:06:07 GMT

- @Cap-24 You me and others already discussed this topic in https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/resetting-a-cisco-air-cap-1552e-access-point-to-factory-defaults/m-p/5329105
Did you make any progress ?

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Leo Laohoo — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 22:34:37 GMT

FN72524 - During Software Upgrade/Downgrade, Cisco IOS APs Might Remain in Downloading State After December 4, 2022 Due to Certificate Expiration

Post the complete output to the command "sh ap bundle all". I suspect the Supplemental AP Bundle was not loaded into the WLC where it states explicitly:

This bundle is mandatory to support AP802,AP1530, AP1550 and AP1570.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:31:54 GMT

@Leo Laohoo

Primary Version : 8.3.133.0

AP Supplement Bundle : Not Installed

Primary AP Image Size Supported AP's
---------------- ---- ------------
ap1g1 13120 AP700
ap1g2 13072 AP1600
ap1g4 23208 AP1850/1810
ap1g5 19056 AP1815
ap3g1 9936 AP3500
ap3g2 14940 AP2600,3600,1700,2700,3700
ap3g3 28312 AP2800,3800,1560
c1140 8836 AP1140
c602i 3864 AP600

Secondary Version : 8.3.133.0

--More-- or (q)uit
AP Supplement Bundle : Not Installed

Secondary AP Image Size Supported AP's
------------------ ---- ------------
ap1g1 13120 AP700
ap1g2 13072 AP1600
ap1g4 23208 AP1850/1810
ap1g5 19056 AP1815
ap3g1 9936 AP3500
ap3g2 14940 AP2600,3600,1700,2700,3700
ap3g3 28312 AP2800,3800,1560
c1140 8836 AP1140
c602i 3864 AP600

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:34:24 GMT

@Mark Elsen - For some reason I am getting an error loading message for c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11. Not sure if it is the file that I copied off another of our AP's or some other issue. I was able to run the reset command and that seems to have worked.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:40:09 GMT

@Leo Laohoo @Mark Elsen - do you have any other suggestions on what I should try next?

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Leo Laohoo — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:05:18 GMT

Look at the output to the command "show ap bundle all" and the 1550 is absent from the list. Here are the options:

1. Acquire the AP Supplemental Bundle

2. Pick another AP model

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:33:54 GMT

I am just confused on how this particular model of AP is already in our production environment? There is a chance it was set up on a previous WLC 5508 that is no longer in service, but they are currently connected to our live WLC5508. If I was able to upgrade the software version on the WLC to 8.5.182.12 would this resolve the issue and include this AP model in the AP supplemental bundle? Appreciate your feedback on our options.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:31:29 GMT

@Leo Laohoo - I have an idea and let me know if you think this will work. We have a different system that has a WLC5508 with code 8.0.133.0 that looks like C1550 is listed in it's primary image. Can I connect my 1552E AP to this WLC and have it download the image. Then when I connect this AP back to our WLC it hopefully will not try and download a different image and just connect. I am guessing it can't download an image if C1550 is not listed in primary image. Hopefully this makes sense and let me know if this may work.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Leo Laohoo — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 22:11:24 GMT

Unfortunately, this will not work.

The WLC and the AP firmware should be in sync. If the AP is sporting a new firmware (than the WLC), the WLC will not let the AP operate/function.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:14:13 GMT

@Leo Laohoo - I figured out that the same thing happens when the Firmware on the AP is a lower version as well. Will the WLC try and download new firmware if I can put on the AP the same firmware (c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11) as what is already on our other AP's in production. How does upgrading the WLC software to 8.5.182.12 help with this situation. Is that the same as Acquiring the AP Supplemental Bundle. I was able to connect the AP to our other control systems WLC and it did connect and download c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD8, then it deleted c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD17. However, when I connected it to our WLC, it just stops at downloading stage. Is it possible to upload or copy software from one WLC to another. Sorry that I am jumping all over the place with this post, just trying to understand what my options are. Thanks.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Rich R — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 11:45:41 GMT

Just to clarify/summarise a few points raised in this thread for anyone reading later ...

- The AP must always run the correct version of software corresponding to the WLC software. See the Compatibility Matrix (link below) for the correct AP version for each WLC version. The AP will always try to download the correct version from the WLC.

- The Field Notices linked below and shared by Leo mean that if you are running old versions of software the IOS AP software downloads from WLC will fail and continuously loop (even if you have the correct AP images installed on the WLC). You should always be running the latest available (last) release of AireOS - in this case for 5508 it is 8.5.182.12 (linked below). Unfortunately Cisco have recently removed the 5508 software from the downloads due to End of Support so you will have to search for it - good luck ...

- Some WLC models (like 5508) do not include all the AP images in the base software so you must install the supplementary AP bundle to have the software images for those APs installed on the controller.

- In this case copying the software from another AP which already has it looks like the only viable option - messy and inconvenient but works!

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 13:59:43 GMT

@Rich R - Thanks for providing some helpful information. So I will proceed to get the right version of Cisco IOS from my production Air-Cap-1552E AP. That way I can transfer it to my new 1552E AP and then it will connect to the WLC and not try and download a different version of software.

WLC 5508 upgrade to Base Image - 8.5.182.12 and Supplementary AP Bundle 8.5.182.12 - I think this will cover our current inventory - 1600 Indoor AP's, 1532 and 1552E (128mb version)?

If our 1552E is the version with 64 MB I take it I cannot go higher than 8.3 IOS software. Can I run a command from our WLC to find out how much memory the AP has? Is the version related to the year it came out?

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Rich R — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:15:26 GMT

> Can I run a command from our WLC to find out how much memory the AP has?
A few suggestions to try at https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/ap-1550-memory-size/td-p/3778812
> Is the version related to the year it came out?
I honestly don't know - sorry!

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:23:35 GMT

@Rich R @Leo Laohoo I am trying to figure out of the Cisco IOS Image -C1550-k9w8-mx-153-3.JD11 is corrupt or I am doing something wrong. It is giving me an error when loading. Looks like the JA8 version is in a directory and that loads. Let me know any ideas.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

coolbreeze — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 02:46:20 GMT

If you go into that folder in the directory flash:/c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11/c1550-k9w8-xx.153-3JD11, does it show a file extension (.tar or .bin) on the file within?

What were your steps for loading the J11 version on your AP?

If the JA8 version loads, does it join the WLC (and then try to go through the automatic upgrade process to the current version on the WLC)?

Interesting it is showing a permission denied issue.

Please type and enter set to check the bootloader entries, since the AP is in rommon mode ( ap: )

EXAMPLE (from post linked further below):

Step 9 Enter the set command to check your bootloader entries.
ap: set
BOOT=flash:/c1140-k9w7-tar.124-21a.JY/c1140-k9w7-tar.124-21a.JY
DEFAULT_ROUTER=192.168.100.1
IP_ADDR=192.168.100.100
NETMASK=255.255.255.0

This post has some helpful info how to check and set the AP environment variables for Aironet APs and installing tar bundles:

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless-mobility-knowledge-base/access-point-rommon-recovery-ap-prompt-recovery-example/ta-p/3119495

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Cap-24 — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:16:29 GMT

@coolbreeze Thanks for giving me a hand with this request. The community post was helpful you sent me. I feel like I am lost,but learning some at the same time. My objective is to get image c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11 onto my Cisco 1552E access point, which is the same image as what is on our production AP's. Unfortunately, we do not have the Bundle AP1550 on the WLC. I am hoping if I can do this, then the AP will join the WLC and not look to download another image.

I copied the image c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11 off another AP in production by using copy flash: tftp:, and it does not have a ,bin or.tar at the end of it. For some reason I cannot boot from this image, not sure if the file is corrupt or if it needs to be in a directory. When I tried the archive -sw upload script, I got an error message unable to access html dir flash: c1550-k9w8-mx.153-3.JD11/html. Hopefully this isn't confusing and you have an idea of what to try next.

Re: Required image not found on AP downloading image from controller L

Rich R — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:34:37 GMT

@Cap-24 you have copied a single file onto the flash.

When you install the software correctly it's hundreds of files which are extracted into the directory of the same name which is what you have there for JA8. If you want to copy from another AP then you need to copy the entire JD11 directory and then extract that to the new AP. You will then have a JD11 directory with the IOS boot files, radio firmware and html files inside it.