How to set C9100 Series AP to Autonoumous mode?

[AstralVoyager]

Hi guys I am a student and I want to buy a used Cisco C9117AX for personal use. 

But I checked it doesn't support Fat/Autonoumous Mode. Can this model (not C9117AX-EWC one) use EWC image C9800-AP-universalk9.17.15.02.zip to achieve somewhat autonoumous mode? Does it require license or some extra steps to do that thing?

Sorry Cisco documentation really confused me for a long time.

[Scott Fella]

I personally wouldn’t buy a Cisco AP unless you buy support. That way you can always update the code. It’s not free to download and for you, I would think it’s a waste of money. There also is no more autonomous access point, it’s call EWC which still is not autonomous but has a controller built in. 

[AstralVoyager]

Oh hi bro thank you for your reply! but I like cisco product a lot and I want to dive deeper into it. It's truely a big problem that device ran out of warranty can't get support and Cisco documentation is such a mess I can't get information of how person like me should deploy AP for home use...I guess I am not the targeted customer...

[Scott Fella]

If you are going to learn, I think the best is to use a controller.  That way you can have some experience if your plan is going into IT.  If you have a home lab and have access to ESXi or Hyper-V, you can spin up a 9800-CL virtual controller and then purchase 91xx access points to use. I personally don't like the EWC but if you can't spin up a virtual machine, then EWC is your next best bet.

Since you will not be able to download code, you need to make sure that the ap you have has the EWC image or else you have an ap that is useless to you.  Here is a matrix that has the code compatibility:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html

Search YouTube for "Cisco configure EWC" and look at the videos.  It's easier to understand thatn the docs.  You can also search for some blogs.  Even if you want to tinker with the virtual controller, look up videos for "Cisco 9800-CL".  

Start at the videos and then when you have questions, move to blogs and then the Cisco docs.

[AstralVoyager]

Bro I don't know how to express my appreciation for your great answer! And I am actually crazy about building labs in my home.

I tried to build 9800-CL once with a used AP1800I-H-K9 and it worked. The only concern for me of combining C9117AX with C9800-CL is stability, if the virtual machine crash, AP can not forward packet then.
So actually I kinda need EWC. But I checked a document it mentioned EWC mode require smart license even only manage AP itself. Bro do you know about this, is that true (I am not a native English speaker and I may not quite get the meaning that the document express)

https://indicium.nl/media/uploads/2021/01/Catalyst9800_Cisco.pdf

Best Regards,

William

[Scott Fella]

Nah... for a lab, you don't need any. Just keep in mind that finding any images will be searching the internet to see if someone has it stored someplace.  You just don't know of the integrity of that image. It's different if you work for a company and you have access to the downloads, then you are in good shape.  If you buy something from like eBay, you need to make sure you have the right image to make an ap an EWC and that the other ap's have the correct image also.

[AstralVoyager]

Bro I checked and I think the image is free to download without service contract needed 

this zip file includes C9800-AP-iosxe-wlc.bin which is EMC image and ap*g* AP image for AP.
For example C9117 use ap1g6 file (can check via readme.txt in the zip file)
Am I wrong or it has some implicit trap...

[AstralVoyager]

Additionally bro I guess it's not a lab, I want it to act as main wireless network provider in my home network.

It's somekind "production" right lol

[Scott Fella]

My home lab is also my production environment. If you can download the images then go for it. That is usually the biggest struggle folks have when they buy Cisco gear. 

[AstralVoyager]

yes already bought C9117AXI few minutes ago, thanks bro. plus I really hate cisco licensing and software downloading policy

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

> if the virtual machine crash, AP can not forward packet then.
Not true! That only applies to an AP in Local or Flexconnect mode with CENTRAL SWITCHING on the WLAN which is tunnelled from AP to the WLC over CAPWAP.  If the AP is in Flexconnect mode with Flex Local Switching (mandatory for EWC) on the WLAN then the AP can keep forwarding traffic even if the WLC is down (AP Standalone Mode).  If the WLAN also uses Local Authentication (eg for WPA2 PSK) then it can keep authenticating new clients even without the WLC.  Check out https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/213945-understand-flexconnect-on-9800-wireless.html and https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/213921-flexconnect-configuration-with-central-a.html

You may find some of the EWC software is free to download but Cisco has been gradually locking access to more and more downloads so just keep this in mind.

EWC does not require any licenses. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/software/one-wireless-subscription/nb-06-dna-acces-wl-sw-faq-ctp-en.html#CiscoDNASoftwaresubscriptionforwireless
"Customers also have the option on Wi-Fi 6 (9130-9105) to deploy the Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), which has no license or fees. When ordering, customers can opt out of Cisco DNA licensing if they plan to use EWC."
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/q-and-a-c67-743152.html#PathforwardforWiFi6E
"For Wi-Fi 6, use EWC functionality on Wi-Fi 6 access points, with no Cisco DNA license requirements."

9800-CL technically requires a DNA license per AP but that is not currently enforced unless you exceed 50 APs on the WLC:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/impl-catalyst-9800-wrls-lan-ctrlr-licens-faq.html
"If a 9800-CL WLC is not connected to a smart licensing service, there is a limit of 50 access points enforced on the device."
That could change at any time in later releases.

[AstralVoyager]

bro you are my hero.......Decided to buy it for my home use!

[AstralVoyager]

Hi bro and I want to thank you again.

I tried using EWC mode and found it will cause the AP's speed and signal both very bad.( Not sure if it's my configuration issue) And I built a C9800-CL VM and configured my AP to FlexConnect mode. It splashhhhhed! and I have 1000Mbps broadband, it can reach over 800Mbps! Compared to EWC mode it's less than 100Mbps. and signal totally lost crossed one wall. 

[Rich R]

Glad to hear you got it working.  In theory there shouldn't be any difference in performance because the software is fundamentally the same so it probably is config related (although a bug in EWC is always a possibility) but EWC tends to use some default configuration which is different to the regular WLC.  You would have to compare the EWC and CL configs to see what the differences are.

[AstralVoyager]

Bro I guess EWC mode consumes some performance of my C9117AXI. Is that possible?