Flapping/Intermittent Access Points

[jdparsons]

Has anyone seen this issue with the 1852i APs? We have 3 APs that flap all day everyday. The LED cycles red, amber, green continuously and never joins the WLC. The cables tested out fine and we attempted a factory reset on the APs.

Jan 27 12:06:10: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to down
Jan 27 12:06:12: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to up
Jan 27 12:15:11: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to down
Jan 27 12:15:15: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to up
Jan 27 12:16:18: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to down
Jan 27 12:16:21: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5, changed state to up

[balaji.bandi]

That is because LWAP looking for WLC to join, since its not joined that is reboot process common, connect console and post complete boot log here ?

how are you expecting AP to join WLC?

what option?

same Layer 2 domain ?

Option 43 ?

[jdparsons]

I am unable to connect a console to the AP as I am no longer onsite and will not be again for a month or two. 

I expect the AP to join via CAPWAP.

Option 82

Same Layer 2 domain

[balaji.bandi]

So you mean to say AP join WLC and disconnect or keep rebooting with out joining?

if you have WLC you can enable debug

[jdparsons]

The AP connects to the switch and either it reboots or the interface goes down and comes back up. There is no log of the AP joining the WLC at all.

[balaji.bandi]

issue with only 1800 AP, do you have any other AP in and working ?

[Leo Laohoo]

I would rather not bother wasting any time troubleshooting any issue(s) with the 1800s.  

I suspect the 1800 have a very poor "build" quality whereby the components were not designed to last this long.   

@Rich R, how many 1800s have you been RMAing per month?

[Mark Elsen]

                          >...continuously and never joins the WLC
  Can you see anything in the controller logs when these ap's are trying to join ? (Also include controller model and software version) , 

 M.

[Rich R]

In future get some console logs (especially since you were there doing factory reset) - that really is the ONLY way to 100& accurately diagnose these problems!
Sometimes a packet capture of the CAPWAP packets may show you something useful - like missing board info which confirms hardware (radios) failed.
But like Leo says we've been RMAing an average of 20 x 1832 per month for about 2 years now.  We don't use 1852 but probably safe to assume similar quality issues with 1852.  Cisco still consider this to be within expected MTBF.
Just RMA the 3 APs.