AP 2702i with WLC 9800-L

[Hythim Ali El Hadad]

Hi

We have AP 2702 and 2802 running with WLC in version 17.9.5

As per compatibility matrix of below link , there are some software versions not supporting 2700 as 17.12 and 17.13

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html

So is this mean that upgrading the WLC to these versions won't support my 2702 APs ?

Is this mean that any future WLC releases won't support my 2702 or Cisco could support this in coming releases as what happened with version 17.12

Thanks

Haitham

[Flavio Miranda]

@Hythim Ali El Hadad 

17.12.4 is the last IOS-XE that supports AP 2700. If you upgrade the WLC to 17.13.1, which is the next version, it will not support 2700.

2700 is an very old AP and probably they will be retired but we never know. Only Cisco can inform that with certainty.

[Leo Laohoo]

The final support for the 2700/3700/1540 is 17.12.X. 

The IW3700, which uses the same firmware as the 2700/3700/1540, is still supported up to 17.15.X/15.3(3)JPT.

[Rich R]

The 2700 APs are End of Support since 30th April 2024 (and the 1700 and 3700 APs):
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-3700-series/eos-eol-notice-c51-740710.html
which is why no new versions of IOS will support them.

Cisco had planned to remove support for them after 17.6 because of "End of SW Maintenance" date (April 29, 2020) and initially did  remove them in 17.9.1 and 17.9.2, but decided to extend that support from 17.9.3 and 17.12.1 to help customers with migrating to 9800 but now that the APs have officially passed the "Last Date of Support: HW" milestone they will not be supported in any release after 17.12.  There was some doubt whether Cisco would even continue  supporting them on 17.9 and 17.12 maintenance releases (eg 17.12.4) but they seem to have decided to keep supporting them because they are still supported on 17.12.4.

The latest extended support release is 17.15.1 which does not support those APs at all.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/17-15/release-notes/rn-17-15-9800.html#supported-aps

9800#sh ap image file summ
AP Image Active List
============================
Install File Name: base_image.bin
-------------------------------
AP Image Type Capwap Version Size (KB) Supported APs
------------- -------------- --------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ap1g4 17.12.4.22 38770 AP1852E, AP1852I, AP1832I, AP1830I
ap1g5 17.12.4.22 36640 AP1815W, AP1815T, OEAP1815, AP1815I, AP1800I, AP1800S, AP1815M, 1542D, AP1542I, AP1100AC, AP1101AC, P-WIFI-AC2, AP1840I
ap1g6 17.12.4.22 67990 AP2900I, C9117AXI
ap1g6a 17.12.4.22 84260 C9130AXI, C9130AXE, C9124AXI, C9124AXD, C9124AXE, C9136AXI, C9136I, IW9167EH, CW9164I, CW9166I, CW9166D1, IW9167IH
ap1g6b 17.12.4.22 79680 CW9162I, CW9163E
ap1g7 17.12.4.22 73530 AP1900I, C9115AXI, AP1900E, C9115AXE, C9120AXE, C9120AXP, C9120AXI, C1115AXI
ap1g8 17.12.4.22 67120 C9105AXI, C9105AXW, C1105AXI, WP-WIFI6, ISR-AP1101AX
ap3g2 17.12.4.22 15460 AP1702I
ap3g3 17.12.4.22 55970 AP3802E, AP3802I, AP3802P, AP4800, AP2802E, AP2802I, AP2802H, AP3800, AP1562E, AP1562I, AP1562D, AP1562PS, APVIRTUAL, IW-6300H-DC, IW-6300H-AC, IW-6300H-DCW, ESW-6300
c1570 17.12.4.22 13050 AP1572E, 1573E, AP1572I
c3700 17.12.4.22 14500 AP3702E, AP3701E, AP3701I, AP3702I, AP3701P, AP3702P, AP2702E, AP2702I, AP3701, AP3700C, AP3702, IW3702

[Haydn Andrews]

I have them running on 17.9.3, however we did hit an issue whilst they were on 17.3.6 and raised a support case. Basically got told sorry they EOL we can not do RCA for these APs. So we replaced them rapidly. 
Whilst they are supported on the 17.9 and 17.12 trains they do not have any further features than what was there on the 17.3 train. 
As already mentioned its to allow migration to newer APs that needed the newer code.
My view is I would start the migration and use 17.9 or 17.12 recommended version and get rid of them as fast as possible.