Recovery image for Aironet 1815i

[Miguel Angel Alvarez Rodriguez]

Hello:

We want to add some 1815i APs to an old WLC deployment. We're only able to find new 1815i autonomous (K9) but we need lightweight ones 1815i (K9C). We know that we can use the recovery image for convert autonomous to capwap, but in the drivers section of the cisco support web we can only find the complete lightweight IOS (ap1g5-k9w8-tar.17_16_0_88). Two questions:

- Anybody knows where can we download the last lightweight recovery image for this AP?

- Can we use the full lightweight image to change from autonomous AP to loghtweight AP? If yes, after done, must we do something different to add the AP with the full image to de WLC deployment?

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

[Flavio Miranda · Accepted solution]

@Miguel Angel Alvarez Rodriguez 

Autonomous AP have k9w7 in the IOS

I believe in you case you Just need to use the command "ap-type capwap"

[Miguel Angel Alvarez Rodriguez]

Hello:

Thanks for your support. As long as I can see this command is used for changing from Mobility Express to CAPWAP. The 1815i K9 are autonomous, not Mobility Express.

But you give me an idea: in the support page I can also download the full ME image, so I will try flashing the APs with the ME and then using this comand for converting to CAPWAP. I'll post if it works.

Thank you for your help.

Regards.

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

I agree with @Flavio Miranda - the 1815i AP runs the AP-COS operating system (not IOS) so cannot support autonomous mode - only Mobility Express or Lightweight (CAPWAP) mode.  Recovery images (rcvk9w8) were only ever provided for the older AP models which run Cisco IOS so there is no recovery image for the 1815i.

Provide the "show ver" from one of the APs?
What version of software is the WLC running?
The AP image for that WLC version can be found in the Compatibility Matrix (link below)

ap1g5-k9w8-tar.17_16_0_88 is the latest CAPWAP (lightweight) image for WLC version 17.16.1 (which also happens to be the first release where the AP software version matches the WLC software version) so there's no reason why you couldn't install that.
Or you could just join the AP to your WLC and let it download the software from the WLC (as long as there is not too much difference between AP and WLC software versions).

[Miguel Angel Alvarez Rodriguez]

Hello: From what you say, I understand then that the problem was that I misidentified the part numbers of the APs: the K9 is for lightweight, the k9c for Mobility Express and there is no autonomous 1815i, is that correct? According to that, then, I don't have to do anything to add the new k9s to the controller, right?

Thanks.

[Rich R]

Correct - but if it's configured as Mobility Express then you should convert the APs to CAPWAP mode first otherwise they'll just join their internal WLC.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-1815-series-access-points/datasheet-c78-738243.html#Orderinginformation

●  AIR-AP1815i-x-K9: Dual-band, controller-based 802.11a/g/n/ac, Wave 2

●  AIR-AP1815i-x-K9C: Dual-band 802.11a/g/n/ac Wave 2 with default software Mobility Express

◦  Regulatory domains: (x = regulatory domain)

◦  For Mobility Express, part number AIR-AP1815i-x-K9C offers default software option Mobility Express

[Miguel Angel Alvarez Rodriguez]

Hello again:

Ap: 8.5.140.0

WLC version: 8.5.151.0

1815i is listed on the compatibility matrix for WLC 8.5.151.0, so I suppose that the K9 are going to be suported.

In the compatibility matrix they also talks about Cisco IOS 15.3(3)JF10 for the AP, but as mentioned before these APs don't have IOS software, so I don't understand what this column of the matrix means.

They don't talk about APs image on the matrix.

Thanks.

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html#aireos-ctr_ap_support

8.5.151.0

15.3(3)JF10

15.3(3)JF10 is the AP software version for WLC software version 8.5.151.0.
They kept the same AP software version naming convention for AP-COS and AP IOS software right up until a few weeks ago when they changed it starting from IOS-XE 17.16.1 which now also uses AP-COS 17.16.1 for the first time, as you can see at the top of the 9800 series Table 5:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/compatibility/matrix/compatibility-matrix.html#c9800-ctr-ap_support

IOS XE Release	Access Point Image Version Number	Access Point Release
Cisco IOS XE 17.16.1	17.16.0.88	17.16.1
Cisco IOS XE 17.15.2	17.15.2.52	15.3(3)JPT1

So if you wanted to install the software before joining the WLC (still after changing the AP to CAPWAP mode) then you can use:
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286288051/release/15.3.3-JF10

Ideally your WLC should be updated to the latest available AireOS to resolve all known, fixed bugs.  For older WLC/AP models only supported up to AireOS 8.5 that should be 8.5.182.12 (or 8.5.182.13 for 3504) linked below or for the newer WLC/AP models 8.10.196.0 as per the TAC recommended link below.