ME and and lightweight access points?

[baselzind]

i found that mobility express access point can act as a controller where other access point can join it , my question is does the other access point need to be lightweight or also ME to join?

does all access point need to have the same ME version or light weight version?

if other ME AP can join together , then how is it possible to create standalone access points without them joining up together if they are on the same subnet?

[Ric Beeching · Accepted solution]

The other APs should be in Lightweight mode. You only need two ME capable APs in the same subnet to be running as ME mode (Active/Standby) and they will also join as lightweight APs to themselves if running as ME.

Most APs out-of-box will have both images on and you can use a command to convert them between ME/Lightweight "ap-type capwap". If they are on a different software version they will download the image from the ME AP but the limitation there is some ME APs do not have space to store all images for all models therefore you may need to have it configured to point at an external repository (e.g. a TFTP host) which has the bundled images available on it. For example, you can download the file "AIR-AP3800-K9-ME-8-5-151-0.zip" from the link below which gives you all the AP images for release 8.5.151.0.

https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286304981/type/286289839/release/8.5.151.0?i=!pp

You cannot have two ME's in the same subnet running independently. What is your use case to have two ME APs in the same subnet running as 'standalone'?

Cheers,
Ric

[baselzind]

so other AP join the ME AP with lightweight firmware , but what happens when you have three ME AP? one would be active and the other two would be standby? also when two ME join up one of them will automatically become standby and inactive? or i need to configure this active/standby??

[Ric Beeching]

You can deploy as many in ME as you want but there will only be one master and one standby (based on lowest MAC) unless you specify a specific standby. All of them will still join the primary ME as lightweight APs as well.. the master effectively runs two images, one ME as a controller and one as a normal Lightweight AP.

Cheers,
Ric

[baselzind]

im confused , so if i deploy AP either with ME or lightweight firmware they will still join the first ME AP?

[patoberli]

Correct. The ones with the ME image can additionally be standby ME, while the ones with lightweight image can't be standby.

[Ric Beeching]

Also this link is good to explain the external images:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/8-2/b_Mobility_Express_Deployment_guide/b_Mobility_Express_Deployment_guide_chapter_01010.html

Ric