Configuration of C9105AXI

[Spragm2570]

Hello,

I have a RV345 Cisco router and recently purchased a C9105 WAP.  I've assigned a static IP address to the WAP (192.168.1.125) and can ping the WAP, however it is still not 'discoverable' using FindIT, nor can I direct GUI access via 192.168.1.125, so am unable to configure it. Not sure what to try next.  Any help would be much appreciated (beginner here).

Many thanks,

Mike

[Scott Fella]

You need to look at the EWC guide. This will explain step by step what you need to do. Any 91x0 access points either require a controller or the EWC image to make the ap a standalone embedded controller.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/ewc/16-12/config-guide/ewc_cg_16_12.html

There are more guides and blogs out there. Just search Cisco EWC configuration guide.

[Spragm2570]

Thanks, but I've taken a look through a lot of material, and still can't figure it out.  The WAP is undiscoverable on Cisco Air Provision and GUI and via IP, but I can successfully ping the WAP.  Is there a step I am missing to enable the CiscoAirProvision-xxxx to make itself visible as a WIFI network?

[Scott Fella]

With EWC, you need to make sure you have the image installed. Then with any provisioning SSID, if you touch anything in the cli the provision ssid will disappear. The best thing for you to do is make sure you have the right image, then see if the provision ssid is there, if not you should factory reset the ap by holding the mode button and power cycle the ap. Hold the mode button for 20 seconds until the LED flashes red. If the provision ssid is not seen, then just configure the EWC from the cli.

[Spragm2570]

Hi Scott, I'm learning but got stuck at the imaging step.  I got a serial cable to terminal to the AP, set-up putty and set-up a TFTP server.  I can ping the system etc, so connection is solid. AP new out of the box is running image 8.10.130.0.  From the AP Conversion instruction, I try "ap-type ewc-ap tftp://192.168.1.116/ap1g8 tftp://192.168.1.116/C9800-AP-Universal...bin", however the help function 'ap-type ?' does not list 'ewc-ap' as a command.  Only lists mobility-express, capwap, cloud... which doesn't allow me to choose ewc-ap type.  This is a C9105AXI so should have EWC.  If I try ewc-ap, I get 

% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.  Any suggestions from here?

[Scott Fella]

Per the guide, if your ap image is 8.9 or later, you use the mobility-express

Note: If the AP is running 8.9 code version, the command ap-type mobility-express should be used instead.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/embedded-wireless-controller-on-catalyst-access-points/215303-embedded-wireless-controller-conversion.html
Your almost there.

[Scott Fella]

Also note that the 9105 only is supported in client mode. If you are trying to make this an EWC ap with controller function, that is not supported. It is the same for wave 2 access points. The guide I provided shows the ap image for specific access points that are supported as EWC.

[Spragm2570]

Scott, ok tried a couple of other items; the mobility-express ap-type doesn't allow the images to be loaded either.  Tried both the ap1g8 image and the c9800-AP-universal...bin image.   "Image provided does not support Mobility Express functionality..."  Now I'm really stumped.  

[Scott Fella]

The 9105 isn’t supported as an EWC. For example, you would use a 9120 or 9130 as an EWC and the 9105 would join that. There isn’t an image to make the 9105 an EWC ap.

[Spragm2570 · Accepted solution]

I received the C9105AXI-A not the C9105AXI-EWC-A, but eventually after finding someone on reddit with the same problem and solved it, here are the steps to convert the C9105AXI-A to EWC using a terminal:

>archive download-sw /reload tftp://<IP of TFTP server>/ap1g8

...followed by...

>ap-type ewc-ap tftp://<IP of TFTP server>/ap1g8 tftp://<IP of TFTP server>/c9800-ap-iosxe-wlc.bin

Hope this is helpful in case anyone has the same problem.

Then further configure in air provisioning.

[Scott Fella]

I forgot about this link. I did use this when I had a beta ap to test EWC. Has the steps also to download the image to the ap.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sc-wifi.com/2019/12/03/cisco-802-11ax-site-survey-single-ap-method/amp/
There was another older post on the 9105’s

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/9105axw-b-ewc-conversion/td-p/4268193/page/2