8.5.x 3504 w/ -A domain access points in US

[Dan Brandt]

Looking to upgrade client controller to a 3504. Client has 3502i's, which I see are supported for the 8.5.x code but they are -A domain. Will the WLC be able to support -A domain and -B domain APs on 8.5?

[Masato Ueoka]

Yes.

8.5 WLC country code sample is follows,

(Cisco Controller) >show country channels
Configured Country............................. Multiple Countries : J4,US
KEY: * = Channel is legal in this country and may be configured manually.
A = Channel is the Auto-RF default in this country.
. = Channel is not legal in this country.
C = Channel has been configured for use by Auto-RF.
x = Channel is available to be configured for use by Auto-RF.
(-,-) = (indoor, outdoor) regulatory domain allowed by this country.
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
802.11bg :
Channels : 1 1 1 1 1
: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
J4 (-JPQU,-JPQU): A * * * * A * * * * A * * *
US (-A ,-AB ): A * * * * A * * * * A . . .
Auto-RF : C x x x x C x x x x C x x x
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
802.11a : 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Channels : 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7
: 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 2 6 0 4 0 4 8 2 6 0 4 8 2 6 0 4 9 3 7 1 5 9 3
-----------------:+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
J4 (-JPQU,-JPQU): . A . A . A . A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A . . . . . . . .
US (-AB ,-AB ): . A . A . A . A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A * . .
Auto-RF : . C . C . C . C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C x . .
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[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

If the APs are 3500, then the controller can support them with -A Regulatory Domain if country code configured is for the US.

[pieterh]

the controller will have no problem serving both domains
but the domain influences which channels and power levels are allowed in the location where the ap is used!
the ap is physically prepared for the regulatory domain and only allows settings suitable for that domain
e.g. if you use a channel or power level not suitable for your local domain then you may break some law!!!!

[Scott Fella · Accepted solution]

Short answer is “yes it is supported”. In the US, there are many installs that have that mix because AP’s were sold as a -A until a few years ago when the regulatory domain changed to -B. 

[Dan Brandt]

That's our exact situation, I just want to make sure if the controller was configured for the US on 8.5 that it would accept the -A domain APs. I didn't know if there was an attempt to phase out those APs with the newer codes as I couldn't seem to find any documentation around it.