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AP 1562i on 2960X PoE Switch

mario.jost
Level 3
Level 3

Dear Cisco community

We have a AP1562I-E-K9 that does not come online on a 2960X Switch. It is constantly rebooting with following line in the log:

%ILPOWER-3-CONTROLLER_PORT_ERR: Controller port error, Interface Gi1/0/20: Power Controller reports power Imax error detected

Show power inline shows a usage of only 15.4 Watts:

swTST01#show power inline

Module   Available     Used     Remaining
          (Watts)     (Watts)    (Watts)
------   ---------   --------   ---------
1           740.0       45.4       694.6

Interface Admin  Oper       Power   Device              Class Max
                            (Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi1/0/1   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/2   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/3   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/16  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/17  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/18  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/19  auto   on         30.0    AIR-CAP1532I-E-K9   4     30.0
Gi1/0/20  auto   on         15.4    Ieee PD             4     30.0
Gi1/0/21  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/22  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0

If i enable the following command, it comes online with 30 watts steady

swTST01(config-if)#power inline static max 30000
swTST01(config-if)#end
swTST01#show power inline

Module   Available     Used     Remaining
          (Watts)     (Watts)    (Watts)
------   ---------   --------   ---------
1           740.0       60.0       680.0
Interface Admin  Oper       Power   Device              Class Max
                            (Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi1/0/1   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/2   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/3   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/16  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/17  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/18  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/19  auto   on         30.0    AIR-CAP1532I-E-K9   4     30.0
Gi1/0/20  static on         30.0    AIR-AP1562I-E-K9    4     30.0
Gi1/0/21  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0

After some more digging, i read about the Cisco Bug CSCsw18530 (LINK)

There it says, i have to use power inline port 2x-mode on the interface to fix this issue. So i deconfigured the static command and put this one in. Now it says it is draining 29.9 Watts on that port.

swTST01#show power inline

Module   Available     Used     Remaining
          (Watts)     (Watts)    (Watts)
------   ---------   --------   ---------
1           740.0       59.9       680.1
Interface Admin  Oper       Power   Device              Class Max
                            (Watts)
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi1/0/1   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/2   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/3   auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/16  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/17  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/18  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0
Gi1/0/19  auto   on         30.0    AIR-CAP1532I-E-K9   4     30.0
Gi1/0/20  auto   on         29.9    AIR-AP1562I-E-K9    4     30.0
Gi1/0/21  auto   off        0.0     n/a                 n/a   30.0

swTST01(config-if)#do show run int gi 1/0/20
Building configuration...

Current configuration : 202 bytes
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/20
 switchport trunk native vlan 10
 switchport mode trunk
 power inline port 2x-mode
 mls qos trust dscp
 mls qos dscp-mutation IDONTCARE
end

So basically i dont understand how a Cisco access point has trouble negotiating the correct amount of power to receive by a Cisco switch. As i like to have a default configuration for all ports my question is: Which configuration is recommended to use with these access points? And does this configuration then have an impact on other access point models (that drain 15 Watts only) or non PoE devices (like PC's or printers) that might cause problems?

Thanks

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

I rather wanna go with the newer AP cause it just seems wrong buying the older model when the successor is out.

Good point.

Buying the old one could haunt us in a few years when we wanna upgrade our WLC but can't due to the lack of support for the 1532 models.

1532 firmware supported started with 7.6.100.0.  Currently, even the newly-released 8.4.100.0 still supports this particular model.  

Just a little hint:  15XX-series outdoor APs are not just expensive units but they are also extremely difficult to install and replace (think physical upgrade).  Their "lifespan", in regards to firmware support, are very, very, very (very!) long.  

But it is still a good idea to look at the 1562I/E/D for future proofing.  

View solution in original post

17 Replies 17

Mark Malone
VIP Alumni
VIP Alumni

those aps use poe+ so it needs to be set to 25 watt or more so that's why it came online with 30000 and not with default 15

those switches can support that but see this doc , depending what's In use is what you may have left per model

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-2960-x-series-switches/data_sheet_c78-728232.html

Cisco Catalyst 2960-Xseries switches support both IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) and IEEE 802.3at PoE+ (up to 30W per port) to deliver lower total cost of ownership for deployments that incorporate Cisco IP phones, Cisco Aironet® wireless access points, or other standards-compliant PoE/PoE+ end devices. PoE removes the need to supply wall power to PoE-enabled devices and eliminates the cost of adding electrical cabling and circuits that would otherwise be necessary in IP phone and WLAN deployments.

But the AP1532 needs 30 watts as well and doesnt need any special port configuration.

Something i found: Cisco documentation says the AP requires 32 Watts to work correctly:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-1560-series/datasheet-c78-737416.html

1562I    - 32 W (3x3:3, full power)

1562D/E  - 25 W

I can only guess that MIMO will work with limited power (maybe 2x2:2) if the 32 Watts arent provided by the switch. Am i correct?

The AP1532 does seem to negotiate correctly with the switch so why doesnt the 1562 do so?

To answer the power of the switch question. These 2 access points are the only thing connected to the switch. As you can see in my config output from my fist post, the remaining watts is far over 600. So this should not be of any concern.

I get that PoE devices from other vendors maybe dont follow PoE negotiation protocol correctly and therefore need special configuration on the port. But this is a Cisco AP on a Cisco switch. And the older model seems to do just fine without any config adjustment. I will try to take a long cable between ap and switch just to see if that fixes the problem. In the Cisco bug it says that cables longer than 50 feet (15m that is) dont seem to have this problem.

Leo Laohoo
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

%ILPOWER-3-CONTROLLER_PORT_ERR: Controller port error, Interface Gi1/0/20: Power Controller reports power Imax error detected

Be aware that the 2960X has a lot of these bugs.  I have lost count how many times i see new Bug IDs with the same description. 

Currently, I've got a site with 2960X running 15.2(4)E2 without seeing any of these problems.  I am organizing to upgrade the site to the newer 15.2(5)E2. 

NOTE:  If you've got APs in them, it's worthwhile enabling Perpetual PoE on the ports.  Perpetual PoE is supported on the 2960X/XR starting with 15.2(4)E train. 

Dear Leo

Thanks for your response. I did some testing but it wasnt successful. I tried following firmwares:

15.2(2)E5 - Preinstalled on the Switch
15.2(2)E6 - Latest Long Term
15.2(4)E2 - Recommended by Leo
15.2(5)E2 - Latest available version

Sadly, they all show the same behaviour giving only 15.4W on the port instead of 30. All tests have been done without special PoE configuration on the port:

swTST01#show running-config interface gigabitEthernet 1/0/20
Building configuration...

Current configuration : 216 bytes
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/20
 switchport trunk native vlan 10
 switchport mode trunk
 mls qos trust dscp
 mls qos dscp-mutation IDONTCARE
end

Perpetual PoE didnt help either. But as far as i understand it, this is just relevant while the switch is in its booting process.

Only thing i am interested is: Do these entries like 2x-mode or power inline static have any impact on other PoE and non-PoE devices?

Thanks and best regards

I know this is an IOS bug exclusive to the 2960X/XR.  You could try with the 2 commands but i doubt if it will make any difference.  

I tested a 1562I a few weeks ago on a 3560CG but not on a 2960X.  I didn't see this error message at all. 

What firmware is the 1562I running on?  It should be running, at least, 8.3.112.0.

Dear Leo

These 2 commands fix the problem and the AP stays up without any error. Im just interested if this commands might have negative impact on other nonPoE/PoE/PoE+ devices connecting to the some port.

The AP is running AirOS 8.3.111.0

We havent upgraded our WLC yet. So at the moment we are not able to manage this access point. We will do so very soon. I just wanted to test the PoE capabilities before moving on buying a bunch of those models.

I ended up greating another post just to clarify the impact on these commands. If anyone is interested: https://supportforums.cisco.com/discussion/13296561/what-does-power-inline-port-2x-mode-really-do#comment-12072646

Another thing i checked is what PoE Power the AP is requestion via CDP. Here the output with power inline static command:

swTST01#show cdp neighbors gigabitEthernet 1/0/20 detail
-------------------------
Device ID: AP0062.EC80.XXXX
Entry address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196
Platform: cisco AIR-AP1562I-E-K9,  Capabilities: Router Trans-Bridge
Interface: GigabitEthernet1/0/20,  Port ID (outgoing port): GigabitEthernet0
Holdtime : 166 sec

Version :
Cisco AP Software, ap3g3-k9w8 Version: 8.3.111.0
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 2014-2015 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

advertisement version: 2
Power drawn: 30.000 Watts
Power request id: 17641, Power management id: 2
Power request levels are:29900 15400 0 0 0
Management address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196

If i switch to the power inline port 2x-mode command, this is what i get:

DURING BOOT

swTST01#show cdp neighbors gigabitEthernet 1/0/20 detail
-------------------------
Device ID: AP0062.EC80.XXXX
Entry address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196
Platform: cisco AIR-AP1562I-E-K9,  Capabilities: Router Trans-Bridge
Interface: GigabitEthernet1/0/20,  Port ID (outgoing port): GigabitEthernet0
Holdtime : 179 sec

Version :
Cisco AP Software, ap3g3-k9w8 Version: 8.3.111.0
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 2014-2015 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

advertisement version: 2
Power drawn: 15.400 Watts
Power request id: 23382, Power management id: 1
Power request levels are:29900 15400 0 0 0
Management address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196

AFTER BOOT

swTST01#show cdp neighbors gigabitEthernet 1/0/20 detail
-------------------------
Device ID: AP0062.EC80.XXXX
Entry address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196
Platform: cisco AIR-AP1562I-E-K9,  Capabilities: Router Trans-Bridge
Interface: GigabitEthernet1/0/20,  Port ID (outgoing port): GigabitEthernet0
Holdtime : 151 sec

Version :
Cisco AP Software, ap3g3-k9w8 Version: 8.3.111.0
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 2014-2015 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

advertisement version: 2
Power drawn: 29.900 Watts
Power request id: 23382, Power management id: 2
Power request levels are:29900 15400 0 0 0
Management address(es):
  IP address: 6.128.170.196

If i check the port with our 1532i that comes up whether i have 2x-mode enabled or not i get following:

swTST01#show cdp neighbors gigabitEthernet 1/0/19 detail
-------------------------
Device ID: apPWS10
Entry address(es):
  IPv6 address: FE80::281:C4FF:FE88:XXXX  (link-local)
Platform: cisco AIR-CAP1532I-E-K9,  Capabilities: Trans-Bridge Source-Route-Bridge IGMP
Interface: GigabitEthernet1/0/19,  Port ID (outgoing port): GigabitEthernet0
Holdtime : 138 sec

Version :
Cisco IOS Software, C1530 Software (ap1g3-K9W8-M), Version 15.3(3)JD, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc3)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2016 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Fri 29-Jul-16 03:14 by prod_rel_team

advertisement version: 2
Duplex: full
Power drawn: 30.000 Watts
Power request id: 54621, Power management id: 2
Power request levels are:30000 15400 0 0 0

If i have none of the power inline commands enabled on the port where the 1562i is connected to, i dont get any readings from cdp. I guess the power gets cut down before the access point it is able to establish a cdp link.

I read that the switch gives out some sort of "starting power" and expects a negotiation for the "final power amount" within a certain time. If this negotiation does not take place, the switch shuts the port. Maybe the acces point needs a few more seconds time to boot up. Following command should increase the timeout:

power inline delay shutdown 20 initial 100

But this command is not recognized by our 2960X switches (newest firmware as of April 2017)

Anyone has any idea how to manipulate the delay another way?

Thanks and best regards,
Mario

Something else i read on lots of posts is, that the issue fixes itself once a longer cable than 50ft will be used. I patched thru 3 different racks just to get around 25m (80ft) of cabling in between the ap and the switch. Didnt change anything about the situation though.

Dear Leo

We upgraded the firmware of our WLC yesterday and the AP is running at 8.3.112 now. When i run the AP on the 2960X Switch with the power inline port 2x-mode command, it drains following:

swVPN02#show power inline gigabitEthernet 1/0/25
Interface Admin  Oper       Power   Device              Class Max
                            (Watts)                            
--------- ------ ---------- ------- ------------------- ----- ----
Gi1/0/25  auto   on         29.9    AIR-AP1562I-E-K9    4     30.0

The access point says:

PoE Status: Medium Power (25.5 W)

In the cisco documents (link) i found following sentence:

Power consumption:  32 W (3x3:3, full power)

Powering options:   Universal Power of Ethernet (UPoE), 802.3at

Note: If 802.3at Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the source of power, the 1562I radios will shift from 3 x 3 to 2 x 2.

So does that mean that the clients are just missing out on a little bit of bandwith with the medium power mode? Does it really take 7 more watts to shift from 2x2 to 3x3?

We are ordering a high number of access points soon and im really trying to push management to rather order the 1562i than the older 1532i models.

Thanks and best regards,

Mario

Does it really take 7 more watts to shift from 2x2 to 3x3?

Yes.  Higher performance means higher CPU power and this translate to higher power consumption. 

We are ordering a high number of access points soon and im really trying to push management to rather order the 1562i than the older 1532i models.

1562D can operate in 30w PoE power.  Radiation Pattern for the 1562D is below:

1562D 2.4 Ghz

1562D 5.0 Ghz

Compare the Radiation Pattern with the 1562I (below): 

AP1562I Radiation Patterns (2.4 Ghz)

AP1562I Radiation Patterns (5.0 Ghz)

Someone will have to make a choice:  If operating the 1562I, PoE is insufficient so is it beneficial to find a solution to enable the AP to operate at 32W or is it beneficial to use 1562D?

Thank you for the explanation. I rather wanna go with the newer AP cause it just seems wrong buying the older model when the successor is out. Buying the old one could haunt us in a few years when we wanna upgrade our WLC but can't due to the lack of support for the 1532 models.

We rather have range than speed in our environment. So if the downside of running the 1562I on medium power is only limited speed, we can life with that.

I mean, we are talking about a third of less bandwidth. MIMO 2x2 delivers a theoretical maximum of 1.3 Gbit/s (3 x 433 Mbit/s) versus MIMO 2x2 that provides 867Mbit/s (2 x 433 Mbit/s)

Am i right to assume only losses in bandwidth using the 1562i on medium power?

I rather wanna go with the newer AP cause it just seems wrong buying the older model when the successor is out.

Good point.

Buying the old one could haunt us in a few years when we wanna upgrade our WLC but can't due to the lack of support for the 1532 models.

1532 firmware supported started with 7.6.100.0.  Currently, even the newly-released 8.4.100.0 still supports this particular model.  

Just a little hint:  15XX-series outdoor APs are not just expensive units but they are also extremely difficult to install and replace (think physical upgrade).  Their "lifespan", in regards to firmware support, are very, very, very (very!) long.  

But it is still a good idea to look at the 1562I/E/D for future proofing.  

Hi Mario,

 I have the same problem with 2960X  running version 152-2.E5 and 152-2.E6 (recommended version) when we connect a meraki AP  MR53-HW (Power over Ethernet: 37 - 57 V - 802.3at required).

Tomorrow I will try with the command power inline port 2x-mode.

regards

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