Can I change the regulatory domain on an lightweight access point?

[tdennehy]

I'm wondering if there is an easy way to change the regulatory domain on a lightweight access point.  The reason I'm asking is someone accidentally placed an order for AIR-CAP3502I-N-K9 access points instead of the AIR-CAP3502I-A-K9 flavored ones.  I can see how it happened, since undoubtedly someone asked for the "N" access points, thinking 802.11n, and the other person was thinking AIR-CAP3502I-"N"-K9.

Question is... do I have to RMA them, or is there a way to magically turn them into the ones flavored for the Americas?

[George Stefanick]

RMA, sorry to say. Or add that domain to your controller.

Here is a nice write up Steve did, btw ... Good read ..

http://nostringsattachedshow.com/2012/02/02/multiple-country-codes-with-the-cisco-wlc/

[tdennehy]

That is what I was afraid of. I was hoping someone had a trick up their sleeve…

[George Stefanick]

The trick starts with an R and ends with an A ...

[Leo Laohoo]

The trick starts with an R and ends with an A ...

Tried it.  Got the same.  I asked Surendra about it and he said you can't RMA a WAP with a wrong regulatory domain in hoping that you'll get the correct one back.

[Stephen Rodriguez]

You the only thing TAC can do is RMA an AP an slams you a LAP. Wrong reg Dom you need to go back to the partner and have them order you the correct one.

Steve

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

Wrong reg Dom you need to go back to the partner and have them order you the correct one.

True.  But our partner is a ****-head.  So we didn't bother.  We just blacklisted the "partner".

[tdennehy]

I suppose you have two options now.  Add that country to your controller and put the APs in your own building and just deal with it, or sell them to someone in the country where they belong.

I can see how we ended up with the AIR-CAP3502I-N-K9 access points.  Someone called up the partner and said, "We need a dozen Cisco 3502s"...  someone then replied, "which ones?", and then the first person most likely said, "the N ones", meaning 802.11n.

Of course everyone reading this thread cringes when they read this, since we all know how easily someone "not in the know" can easily make this mistake, creating a HUGE headache for everyone else involved.  In my case, these APs were dropped off to me, and I was told to stage them for a new building coming online.  I did everything you need to prime them, and when it came to slam the WCS templates to them, I kept getting an error for the 5GHz side of the AP.  As soon as I turned the AP over, I saw the part number and gasped.

I can't really blame it on our partner.  This error is owned by the person that ordered them....

[Leo Laohoo]

I suppose you have two options now.  Add that country to your controller and put the APs in your own building and just deal with it,

That's not a solution.  That's another problem.  When you enable another country's regulatory domain you hit two further issues:

1.  It's against the law; and

2.  Most of the time, the other country's regulatory domain can run in conflict with your own country's regulatory domain.  So, what will happen is that the WLC will enable "A" country regulatory domain to ALL of your WAPs.

I can't really blame it on our partner.  This error is owned by the person that ordered them

Maybe you're right but I believe I will indeed blame it on the partner.  Here's my reason:

Your partner gets a commission from Cisco.  Either from reselling the appliance OR by other services such as storage and distribution, etc.  Anyway, your partner should know what is happening.  Your partner should know what parts are available and what parts aren't.  I mean, let's presume you have a design and you get the decision to buy, say, a 2801 router.  Your partner blindly sells you that.  What's wrong with that?  Well the 2801 router is already end-of-sale.  Do you want to have a router that's end-of-sale?  I know I wouldn't.  That's why they are partner.  We expect them to KNOW more than you and me.

Your partner, in my humble opinion, $crewed this one up.  Whether or not the offending person will "man up" and replace WAPs with incorrect regulatory domain would be like putting a bet on a one-horse-race at the Kentucky Derby and still loose.

[tdennehy]

Yeah, adding the regulatory domain is just a bad idea.

Also, the partner should have known... since a flag should have popped up when we ordered something for another country when we are clearly US only organization. They're local to us. But at the end of the day, someone where I work asked for them.

At least I wasn't involved.

I just have to sort it all out.

[Leo Laohoo]

I just have to sort it all out.

No you don't.  Get legal to do it.

Or do what one person did.  He removed the offending unit, order the correct part (but didn't pay), and dropped off the offending unit at the partner's office and said, "I"m not paying for that because it's the wrong part that should be sold in this country.".

[blakekrone]

Having worked for partners for awhile now thats bad advice Leo. Mistakes happen, most partners send a bom your way for approval before ordering as a checks and balances. It's better to be polite with the partner and typically it can be resolved. I know I've made the mistake putting an N down instead of an A. If a partner ordered it via a distributor it can typically be fixed.

We are all human.

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[Leo Laohoo]

Having worked for partners for awhile now thats bad advice Leo. Mistakes happen, most partners send a bom your way for approval before ordering as a checks and balances. It's better to be polite with the partner and typically it can be resolved. I know I've made the mistake putting an N down instead of an A. If a partner ordered it via a distributor it can typically be fixed.

True.