AP not joining vWLC

[fgasimzade]

Hello everyone,

We have some AP 1042, they  were connect to a WLC. This WLC is now broken, and we are trying to register it on vWLC. (we were able to register them on this vWLC in a test environment some time before)

I have changed DNS records for CISCO-CapWAP-CONTROLLER and  CISCO-LWAPP-CONTROLLER but this is what I get in the logs:

Translating "CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.bct.az"...domain server (192.168.1.2) (192.168.1.26)

AP6c20.5623.7396#

*Mar  1 00:24:55.733: %CAPWAP-3-DHCP_RENEW: Could not discover WLC using DHCP IP. Renewing DHCP IP.

Not in Bound state.

*Mar  1 00:25:04.257: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Invalid event 38 & state 2 combination.

*Mar  1 00:25:04.362: %DHCP-6-ADDRESS_ASSIGN: Interface GigabitEthernet0 assigned DHCP address 192.168.111.21, mask 255.255.255.0, hostname AP6c20.5623.7396

vWLC management interface and AP are in the same VLAN.

Also, when issuing

AP6c20.5623.7396#sh capwap ip config

I get:

LWAPP Static IP Configuration

Primary Controller 192.168.111.200

But we have never added any static configuration to the AP

vWLC version 7.3.101.0

AP software version is: 7.0.220.0

Please help

Thank you

[JEFF SPRADLING]

Reset the AP to factory defaults:

Step 1 Disconnect power (the power jack for external power or the Ethernet cable for in-line power) from the access point. 
Step 2 Press and hold the MODE button while you reconnect power to the access point. 
Step 3 Hold the MODE button until the Status LED turns amber (approximately 2 to 3 seconds), and release the button. 

[fgasimzade]

Still no luck..

When it says "Could not discover WLC using DHCP IP." - does it mean it can not really discover the IP address? Or it could be any other problem, for example with time settings or contry codes?

[Muhammad Adnan Siddiqui]

Dear Fgasimzade,

Please make sure that you have the time configured on vWLC. With default timings(generally pointing to very old dates), the AP will not be able to have successful certificate exchange & fails in association.

Even if an AP has static IP configuring, it won't have an impact. Its just that the AP would first try to discover the WLC with static IP after which it fails, then it reloads and tries to acquire a DHCP assigned IP and tries to discover the WLC and on failing again would again reload and repeat the process again and again by obtaining different IP address from dhcp scope. 

Configured country codes plays a role only to the extent to determine if 5ghz radio is allowed in the regulatory domain of configured country. Has nothing to do with AP association failures. 

I guess you are using management interface for AP management. Has mgmt interface configured in vWLC as untagged or with the respective VLAN?

[fgasimzade]

Muhammad,

Time is correct.

Yes Management interface for AP management. It is vlan 111 (the same as AP) and it is a trunk port

[fgasimzade]

Ok, I have added DHCP value 43, it says now *May 14 18:46:42.502: %CAPWAP-5-DHCP_OPTION_43: Controller address 192.168.111.2
00 obtained through DHCP

But then suddenly again:

*May 14 18:47:22.510: %CAPWAP-3-DHCP_RENEW: Could not discover WLC using DHCP IP
. Renewing DHCP IP.

What does this mean?

[David Watkins]

It means it "did" learn the IP address, however the WLC is not sending a "discovery response" to the AP's discovery request to that address.

[David Watkins · Accepted solution]

Please read the following

http://www.cisco.com/image/gif/paws/113677/virtual-wlan-dg-00.pdf

You will need your AP to upgrade to at least 7.3.  Also read the information regarding "hash" configuration since the vWLC utilizes an SSC, unlike the traditional hardware WLC's MIC.

This is of course only relevant once you get your WLC "discovery" issues resolved.

[fgasimzade]

David, AP is now LWAPP image version 7.3.1.73

I have disabled SSC validation on vWLC

But still no luck

[fgasimzade]

I have upgraded AP to 7.3.x and it joined the vWLC.

Thank you!

[fgasimzade]

This is what I got from debug on vWLC

 limit for maximum AP downloads 0 reached

What does it mean?

[7919dvalle]

1.- si el AP tiene precargado la versión 8.4.100.0 y al conectar al internet y direccionarlo a una wlc con cualquier otra versión se va a ver en consola lo siguiente:

Se revisa en la flash: a que paquete corresponde la versión 8.4.100.0 y se borra:

Show flash:

delete /force /recursive flash:/c3700-k9w8-mx.153-3.JE

Una vez borrado el paquete se hace reload para que arranque el ap con el banco de IOS de backup:

Generalmente se carga una versión 8.2.100.0 o si no, se carga cualquier versión de IOS borrando toda la flash: (en caso de que el ap arranque en modo rommon)

Hecho ese cambio se conecta al dhcp con salida a Internet y empieza la carga de firmware 8.5.161.0

Terminada la actualización queda actualizado el ap a la versión de la WLC:

Se continúa el proceso de comisionamiento en la WLC y quedan los aps operativos