Cisco IOS upgrade for C9124AXD-B failing

[griffitd904]

Good Morning-

After completing a factory reset, we're now forced to upgrade our iOS back to its previous version. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Windows 10 client connected to a Cataylst 9300 switch behaving like a TFTP server using Solar winds. In addition, I have a 9800 Wireless Controller, which is unable to provision the AP. I can ping the AP from not only the switch but the rest of the devices as well.

Client (TFTP): 192.168.101.10

AP: 192.168.101.202

AP60B9.C088.14C0#archive download-sw /reload tftp://192.168.101.10/ap1g6a-k9w8-tar.17_15_3_28.tar
Download script called with args:[-l tftp://192.168.101.10/ap1g6a-k9w8-tar.17_15_3_28.tar -m 0]
Starting download AP image tftp://192.168.101.10/ap1g6a-k9w8-tar.17_15_3_28.tar ...
It may take a few minutes. If longer, please abort command, check network and try again.
######################################################################## 100.0%
Upgrading ...
status 'upgrade.sh: Script called with args:[NO_UPGRADE]'
do NO_UPGRADE, part1 is active part
status 'upgrade.sh: Script called with args:[-c PREDOWNLOAD]'
do PREDOWNLOAD, part1 is active part
status 'upgrade.sh: Creating before-upgrade.log'
status 'upgrade.sh: Start doing upgrade arg1=PREDOWNLOAD arg2=,from_cli arg3= ...'
status 'upgrade.sh: Using image /tmp/cli_part.tar on axel-qca ...'
status 'upgrade.sh: ERROR: Image type mismatch. Expected: Got:ap1g6a'
status 'upgrade.sh: Cleanup for do_upgrade...'
status 'upgrade.sh: /tmp/upgrade_in_progress cleaned'
status 'upgrade.sh: Cleanup tmp files ...'
Failed to update flash
Image download completed.
Image transfer failed

Cisco AP Software, (ap1g6a), C9124, RELEASE SOFTWARE
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2025 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Thu Mar 28 14:16:02 GMT 2024

ROM: Bootstrap program is U-Boot boot loader
BOOTLDR: U-Boot boot loader Version U-Boot REL 2016.01 (btldr release 42) (Nov 1
7 2023 - 14:11:13 -0800)
TZ: Trustzone Version CRM-TZ.BF.4.0.8-00180

AP60B9.C088.14C0 uptime is 0 days, 0 hours, 28 minutes
Last reload time : Sat Sep 28 00:25:27 UTC 2024
Last reload reason : unknown

cisco C9124AXD-B ARMv8 Processor rev 4 (v8l) with 1798808/1154824K bytes of memo
ry.
Processor board ID FJC28391UEF
AP Running Image : 8.2.20.16
Primary Boot Image : 8.2.20.16
Backup Boot Image : 0.0.0.0
Primary Boot Image Hash:
Backup Boot Image Hash:
3 Multigigabit Ethernet interfaces
2 802.11 Radios
Radio FW version : QC_IMAGE_VERSION_STRING=WLAN.HK.2.7-04674-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-
1
NSS FW version : NSS.FW.12.0-custom-HK.E_custC

Base ethernet MAC Address : 60:B9:C0:88:14:C0
Part Number : 0-0000-00
PCA Assembly Number : 074-125083-01
PCA Revision Number : C0
PCB Serial Number : FOC282406CB
Top Assembly Part Number : 068-102440-01
Top Assembly Serial Number : FJC28391UEF
Top Revision Number : A0
Product/Model Number : C9124AXD-B

I am aware that I am operating on an old image, do I need to upgrade to 8.10.x.x.x before upgrading to 17.15 or later?

Thank you

Cam

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@griffitd904 wrote:
status 'upgrade.sh: ERROR: Image type mismatch. Expected: Got:ap1g6a'

---

I think this AP wants AireOS firmware.  

Download any files from 8.10.X.X and try.

[griffitd904]

Does Cisco have a solution for this? I might need to contact them. 

Right now, my WLC (C9800-L-C-K9) is running on 17.09.04a; my working AP, 17.9.4.27 as the primary, and 17.9.6.40 as the backup. However, my other AP, which seems to be the AP from H3LL (lol), is giving me problems. 

[Leo Laohoo]

Where was this AP sourced from?

The reason why we are all asking is because the AP came with a very special software only internal people would know of.

[Rich R]

Exactly - the only way an AP can have this software on it,  is if it was EFT (Early Field Trial)/Beta/Internal testing prior to the product being released.  EFT/beta APs normally have the correct final PID but if this one was an early internal demo model it might even have an experimental PID used before they decided on final product IDs, which would mean it was never intended to land in the hands of customers and will never work with released software.  Anyone who was provided with one of these APs would have been given instructions for how to update it for use with released software which suggests you probably did not get this AP directly from the Cisco Wireless business unit - which is where it would have come from originally.

[Leo Laohoo]

The serial number of the AP tells me the AP was manufactured September 2023.  

I am suspecting this is not an sole "EFT" unit but, rather, a large batch operated by a single operator who, coincidentally, happens to be a very big Cisco customer (aka, a whale).  

My theory lies in the question:  Why would WNBU provide a 9124 with a software that was compiled earlier than 2016 (8.2.100.0 release date)?

[Rich R]

> Why would WNBU provide a 9124 with a software that was compiled earlier than 2016 (8.2.100.0 release date)?
They didn't - those development software builds have completely unrelated version numbers, nothing to do with AireOS or the published 9800 releases, purely internal development builds.
And you can see from the AP output: Compiled Thu Mar 28 14:16:02 GMT 2024

For example brand new CW9172i beta AP delivered in Feb 2025:
Compiled Mon Aug 12 17:23:09 PDT 2024
cisco CW9172I ARMv8 Processor rev 4 (v8l) with 1874496/1097064K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID DSM284501UH
AP Running Image : 8.8.1.10
Primary Boot Image : 8.8.1.10
So don't get confused by the version numbers - all they tell you is that that AP has come from the BU with a development build installed.

Now I also wouldn't completely rule out something getting shipped from factory for a customer order with the wrong software installed - that has happened before.  If that's the case then it's a simple RMA case.

[Rich R]

The most likely "solution" is RMA, providing they agree that this AP is supported. 

If you obtained the AP via some irregular/grey market path, then they might tell you that it is not supported by TAC.  In that case you need to go back to whoever you got the AP from.

[Rich R]

> I am aware that I am operating on an old image, do I need to upgrade to 8.10.x.x.x before upgrading to 17.15 or later?
That is not an "old" image - like Leo says it's an EFT/beta image (Compiled Thu Mar 28 14:16:02 GMT 2024) that must have come from factory for an Early Field Trial/Beta and is not covered by standard documentation/support at all.  9124 is not supported on AireOS at all so there is no 8.10 image which will support this AP.  Agreed with Leo - try the 17.12.5 image first and if that takes then upgrade from that to 17.15.3.  You could even try an earlier one like 15.3.3-JPN6 (17.9.7) ap1g6a-k9w8-tar.153-3.JPN6.tar

I may be stating the obvious but presume you have checked the MD5 and SHA512 checksums of the downloaded image (against the values provided on the download page)?
And that you are using a TFTP server which supports larger files?

If none of those work then you'll have to RMA the AP.  It's risky leaving those trial images on the AP, always best to make sure the AP has standard supported images in both partitions.

[griffitd904]

Hi Leo.... Thank you for the response. I am using SolarWinds but considering TFTPD64 instead.

[Saikat Nandy]

I would better start off pushing the 17.3.4 lightweight image to this 9124AXD-B first as this is the first IOS-XE version supported on this model. Once done, 17.12.x can be tried.