Air-AP18321-E-K9 Cisco Access Point

[Ckafui]

Cisco Aironet 1830i Air-AP18321-E-K9 Access Points going completely off in service after deployment over a year. All external power sources used to power the access point has proven futile. I cannot deduce the root cause for this issue. I need a prompt help about this.

Thank you. 

[Rich R]

If you need prompt help then phone Cisco TAC.

If the AP will not power on at all then you obviously have a hardware failure and need to replace/RMA the AP.

If you want help from other community users you'll need to provide more detail.

What do you mean by "going completely off in service"?

What troubleshooting have you performed?

What model of WLC and software version?

Network design & topology - how do the APs discover the WLC, and what is the network between the AP & WLC?

Console logs from AP from power-on?

Logs and debug of AP join on WLC?

[Ckafui]

1. 'Going off completely in service' means; The AP was working well on a switch and suddenly go off oneday.
2. Troubleshooting performed is; Using an external power source to power 'ON' the AP but no avail.
3. Cisco 8540 WLC. Software version:  8.5.103.0
4. Toplogy: WLC - Switch - AP.  Between AP and WLC is CAPWAP. APs are discovered automatically in the WLC before added to their required WLAN groups.#

I do not have a spare AP to get the logs.

Thanks and will be waiting on your reply.

[Rich R]

You only need a PC and console cable to see the logs not a spare AP!

[Ckafui]

Is it the switch log or AP log?

[Rich R]

AP log.

You should be able to access the switch log remotely.

[Anjana A]

Hi ,

Please confirm whether AP is powering on when connected with external power source or whether you can see any led lights popping up when power is connected.

Regards,

Anjana

[Ckafui]

NO, the AP does not power with an external power source(i.e. PoE adapter). NO, LED Lights pop up when connected to the external power source.

Thanks.

[Rich R]

So you need to replace the AP.

[Ckafui]

I have, but my line manager demanding the root cause of why the APs are failing. Thats why i asked here for assistance.

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

Hardware fails - it's a fact of life. 

Every product has a predicted MTBF which can be obtained from your Cisco SE on request only because it's considered commercially confidential info and released under NDA.

There is some discussion of MTBF in general in https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/emea/docs/2020/pdf/R6BGArNQ/TECCRS-2001.pdf

If a product shows a trend of failing consistently more often than predicted MTBF then Cisco will start doing EFA (Engineering Failure Analysis) on RMA failed units to investigate root cause and identify possible design fault or inferior component quality, which will sometimes (but not always) result in a field notice being published - for example: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/memory-component.html#~tab-fieldnotices

If you want root cause the only option is to open a TAC case for every failure and if you can persuade TAC that the failure is higher than MTBF then they may agree with the BU to initiate EFA process.  Be aware that EFA can take 3 months or more as it goes to a special engineering team for extensive testing and diagnostics and Cisco will only do it if there is a pattern of systemic failures above MTBF.

Of course you should consider obvious environmental causes like power surges, lightning strikes, operating in excessively high temperature conditions due to lack of cooling, humidity, dust/chemical pollutants etc which you are responsible for protecting against.

[Ckafui]

Thanks.

[Setthawat]

I had this problem like you. My AP Model 1832I-S-K9 and WLC8540 (ver. 8.5.171). Many AP NO LED Lights pop up like a no power on AP and I cannot find root cause and RMA already. then the new ap instlled on the same port switch is stll working well.