How to convert a Cisco AP from Lightweight to Autonomous (CAP to SAP)

[Rene MUGIRANEZA]

Hi there;

I have a cisco AP called "AIR-CAP2702E-E-K9" and I want to convert it from Lightweight to Autonomous. I read many post but I failed to do so. The problem I am experiencing is that no interface is shown in PuTTY so that I can do the configuration. Find bellow my steps I followed (I failed to pass step 12). 

Kindly, help me to overcome this issue.

Thank you.

1.  Log in to www.cisco.com
2.  Click on "Support" at the top of the page.
3.  Click the "Downloads" button.
4.  Select "Wireless" from the left side.
5.  Select "Access Points".
6.  Select "Cisco 2700 Series Access Points".
7.  Select Cisco Aironet 2702e Access Points".
8.  Click "Autonomous AP IOS Software".
9.  Connect to the AP using a console cable.
10.  Power on the AP.  If you have a POE switch then that way is best.  If not use a power injector or power cord for the AP.
11.  Start a TFTP server on your laptop or PC and set the LAN interface to 10.0.0.1 255.25.255.0
12.  Open a serial connection to the AP.  Once the boot up finishes log in.  Remember the default password is Cisco.
13.  Enter the following commands in this order:

• enable
• debug capwap console cli
• debug capwap client no-reload
• capwap ap ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.0
• capwap ap ip default-gateway 10.0.0.1
• archive download-sw /force /overwrite tftp://10.0.0.1/filename.tar

14.  Once the upload, extraction, and installation is complete (3 to 5 minutes) the AP will restart.

15.  Once the restart is completed log in and do a show version command.

16.  Verify the AP now provides access to the full suite of IOS commands.

17.  Configure as needed.

[Scott Fella]

When you use the mode button and the tftp method, you don't need to issue any commands.  

https://supportforums.cisco.com/document/58026/lwapp-mode-autonomous-mode-conversion

Look at this one but also make sure you check the MD5 hash after you download the image to make sure it's not corrupted. There are free MD5 checkers.

-Scott 

*** Please rate helpful posts *** 

[cewilliams]

The version of Putty you maybe using does not allow for a serial connection. You can use any terminal emulation similar to ProComm or even Terminal for Windows. Otherwise the description is spot on for converting an AP from LWAPP to Autonomous. The steps even appear to work around the issue of the AP falling back to DHCP during file transfer even after static IP has been configured. 

[net2000]

It worked for me when I replaced the "last line of step 13." with the "following two lines":

• copy tftp://10.0.0.1/filename.tar flash:
• archive download-sw /force /overwrite flash:/filename.tar

Thank you for the detailed steps you provided!

[aeic]

When I type "enable" I get

Unknown command: enable

Please help as I am  very new to all of this.

I've got a aironet 3600i

[Ric Beeching]

Your AP might be in rommon mode. Try typing "boot" to see if it does anything (might boot off an image in flash). If not the method below should work if you have a 3602 Autonomous image available

https://ripplesinharmony.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/downgrading-a-cisco-lightweight-ap-to-autonomous-mode/

[bruce6688]

bunch of knowledge

[Haydn Andrews]

Hi Rene

Check out my blog post on this here

Connect the AP to either a POE switch (on the native VLAN) or use a POE Injector 

Your laptop will need a TFTP server on it

then just follow the blog post up to configuring the AP steps.

There are 2 options, I find sometimes one doesn't work and the other does.

Reference the putty not showing a serial connection this could be due to the fact that your serial to USB driver is not installed.

You can use any terminal server

Also download the latest version of putty from here

[Umair Awan]

https://youtu.be/iY3TybqOSRg

Hope this will help

I was using 3602i 

[m.rana.ku]

Hi,
Step by Step Process has been demonstrated How to of Convert Cisco Aironet 3600 Series Access Point from Lightweight to Autonomous version.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmZZ2BNGXQH1HPS3uIVnr7A?sub_confirmation=1

https://youtu.be/O2qNFVZ-KRQ

Requirements:
1.TFTPd64 Server
2.Cisco IOS Software AP3G2-K9W7-M for (C3600 Series AP)
3.The Cisco AP and the Laptop with TFTP server must be in same network.

According to my network setup
Lightweight AP BVI1 IP address is 192.168.1.4
Laptop's IP address where TFTP server is installed 192.168.1.7 [Default Router IP]

First disconnect the ethernet cable from the AP then Press the Mode button and Put back the ethernet cable to the AP and hold the Mode button Untill flash light turns to umber and Once the Lightweight AP goes to online then apply the following commands to convert it to Autonomous version:

set IP_ADDR 192.168.1.4 [According to my network setup]
set NETMASK 255.255.255.0 [According to my network setup]
set DEFAULT_ROUTER 192.168.1.7 [According to my network setup]
tftp_init
ether_init
flash_init
tar -xtract tftp://192.168.1.7/ap3g2-k9w7-tar.153-3.JH.tar flash:
dir flash
set boot flash:/ap3g2-k9w7-mx.153-3.JH/ap3g2-k9w7-mx.153-3.JH
set
boot

[KEITH BEAUL]

Excellent Tutorial.

I've created a cheat sheet moving forward. Converting worked perfectly.

[bruce6688]

do we have to turn fire wall off?