Can the CW9166I-MR be used with the 9800 Series wireless Controllers ?

[kidimbwi]

in the datasheet for the 9166 series i can see in the first paragraph that these access points can be managed on premise or through the cloud. does this apply to the CW9166I-MR access points from Meraki ? can they be managed by a 9800-CL virtual wireless controller ?

[balaji.bandi]

If you like to MR to join Cat 9800 WLC then - check installation guide :

• The Cisco CW9166I-MR AP does not join the Catalyst 9800 controller. For the AP to join the controller, contact the Meraki support team to migrate the AP.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/cw916x/cw9166/install-guide/b-hig-cw9166i/installation-overview.html

[kidimbwi]

Thank you for the quick response. when they talk about contacting the Meraki support team to migrate the AP, does it mean that the support team has the ability to enable on premises management by 9800 controllers on the CW9166I-MR ?

[balaji.bandi]

You might have answer by now - the new MR AP - you can use Meraki or IOS code - as @Philip D'Ath  mentioned already.

[Philip D'Ath]

When you order the CW9166I you can order it with either Meraki firmware (-MR) or with firmware for DNA Management (aka the 9800 family).

If you want an AP with a Meraki firmware load to be managed on a 9800 you'll have to go through the painful process of converting it.  Once converted it will no longer be a Meraki AP, or be usable in the Meraki environment.

[Philip D'Ath]

If you enjoy a lot of pain, this is the process of converting between modes:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/catalyst-9164-series-access-points/catalyst-9166i-9164i-dg.html#Migrationbetweenmanagementmodes 

[kidimbwi]

nice one! Thank you for the link.

however in the section: Meraki management mode to Cisco management mode, this is what is written: Contact Meraki Support to migrate from Meraki management mode to Cisco management mode. which lines up with what @balaji.bandi posted. is this a process that i can undertake by myself without going through Meraki Support ? could it be as simple as loading the firmware for the 9166I from this page: https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286329939/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JPQ?i=!pp onto the 9166MR which as you said is a painful process and if so what would be the procedure to do so ? the Access Point is a used one that was not unclaimed hence going through Meraki Support may not be an option.

Thank you very much for your quick replies to my queries.

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

As far as I know you could not do that.  You would have to claim it then convert it as per the official process.
Cisco have not provided u-boot recovery images for these APs as they have for the older 91xx APs.

[kidimbwi]

then it seems that acquiring claimed access points is more trouble than it's worth. Thank you for your response, i've accepted it as the solution to my query.

to satisfy my curiosity, what would be the official process of converting the access point from meraki management to cisco management after claiming the access point ?

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

Further to your previous question:
https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Other_Topics/CW916x_Family_Frequently_Asked_Questions

"Do I need to be in licensing compliance to migrate.

Yes. For all migration requests of Meraki Persona APs to Cisco DNA Center, please ensure the CW916X series access points are claimed into an organization with sufficient licensing for the migration. Organizations in a grace period or without sufficient AP count licenses will not be eligible for migration until the organization is brought back into licensing compliance."

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/networking/access-networking/nb-06-cloud-management-cat-faq-cte-en.html#Migratingaccesspointsbetweenmanagementmodes

Q.  How do I migrate from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode?

A.  Contact Meraki Support to migrate devices from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode. For a device to be migrated, the access point should be assigned to a network with the organization in good standing with appropriate licenses. Start the license conversion process after converting the access points.

Q.  How do I migrate my access point and licensing from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode?

A.  A trade-in model will be available for you to get credit that can be used to buy Cisco DNA Software licenses.

[kidimbwi]

Excellent, this answers all my questions about the migration process. Thank you very much for the help you've offered me in this thread.