Stability of current images

[yantisj]

I manage a network of about 150 APs with diverse clients, and we have been having issues with bugs in IOS for months. We are currently running 12.2(13)JA4 as 12.2(15)JA would lose its connection to the radius server and drop all clients when strange unidentified clients were in the area. I worked with TAC on that one and never had a chance to track down the clients that were causing the problem, but they let me know that I wasn't the only customer they had seen this with. I also tried to upgrade to the XR1 image, but that resulted in APs rebooting themselves once or twice a day, so now I'm back to JA4.

My question is, where is IOS on the APs headed, and why am I encountering more bugs than ever? Does XR mean experimental release? When can I expect things to move forward and stabalize? I'd like to use the new features, but each image, at least for me, is less and less stable. Anyone have some insight? Thanks

[ebreniz]

You can refer to this release note for the issues regarding 12.2(13)JA4

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps430/prod_release_note09186a0080215dfc.html

[wpietrowski]

I have the same question/concern.

I have read through the release notes and related documentation on CCO regarding the 12.2 release train and am still wondering.

It would be nice if Cisco could define a clear maintenance release path leading to an eventual General Deployment release.

[richard.hindley]

We have recently installed a new Wireless LAN with 25 AP 1200. We are using WPA-TKIP with Microsoft IAS as RADIUS server as sole authentication / encryption method with single SSID. Under IOS 12.2(13)JA4, we regularly saw the Radio Interface dropping to a "down" state when misconfigured clients tried to associate / authenticate, with error message "Interface Dot11Radio0, failed - Unknown transmit done status". We upgraded to 12.2(15)XR1 yesterday, but we are now seeing APs intermittently rebooting with error message "Interface Dot11Radio0, changed state to reset" - according to the 12.2(15)XR1 release notes, this looks like Resolved Caveat CSCee63284 - except it is still occuring. All of this is somewhat disappointing.

We have raised a TAC.

[dzuodar]

12.2(15)XR2 should solve the reboot problems, have tried it on an access point today and results are very good, no reboot since then!

[dzuodar]

never mind my previous message, have already experienced new reboots since then...

unexpected exception and then the access point reboots...

[markbd111]

Seems like its up to us to encounter the problems and then either figure out work-arounds or notify Cisco.

I also had issues with my APs when I upgraded to the new (15).JA from the (13).JA4 release. Only my PC clients would be able to access the ap's and all other non-cisco clients would not connect anymore. I rolled it back again and then started to experiment then upgraded again. I had to change my encryption scheme in order to accomodate all my clients. So far so good.

I suppose it is impossible to have a perfect IOS :)

[yantisj]

It's good to know that I am not the only one with problems. Fortunately, JA4 works for us and I don't see us changing until the developers get things under control again. Thinking back, this isn't really new to Cisco, as they contend with more bugs than most can imagine (mostly due to nasty IOS code seperation). Like someone else noted, I'd like to see the IOS AP code tree split to a development branch and a GD branch, but they seem too focused on new features at the moment. I just need a stable network...

[yantisj]

I thought I would post a follow-up to this since I'm royally PO'd at the quality of software Cisco is releasing again. We are currently migrating our wireless network to Vlans, and I am still running the 12.2.13(JA4) release. Well after I convert my config for vlans, I come to find out that tcp sessions are resetting constantly, and all ssh sessions I start to my servers are locking up EVERY time. I thouroughly examine my config but there just isn't much to it. After all the trouble I have had with the last few images, I decide to downgrade ONCE AGAIN, this time to 12.2.11(JA3). This fixed the problem, yet another bug in the AP code.

Am I the only one that has been so unfortunate??? I thought about reporting this to Cisco, but then again, I would get the run around for a week and get blamed for the problem until someone finally figured out that there was another bug, and I don't have time for that. Someone at Cisco, quit with the new features and fix the bugs. Amazingly, I had less trouble with vxworks, as nasty as that OS was.

Anyway, enough of the rant, I'm just tired of wasting my time tracking down bugs.

[dixho]

I have forwarded the feedback to the engineering team. I wonder if you can send me an e-mail at dixho@cisco.com and tell me the SR number. I can escalate the SR and try to allocate enough resource for the SR, saying recreate in our own lab.

[rcreamer]

My feelings exactly. We have been struggling for months. I need to open 'another' case but am reluctant to do so.

[Aaron]

In response to the question about "where is the IOS on the APs headed": you can see some information in the 12.2(15)XR product bulletin (http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps430/prod_bulletin0900aecd8010bc90.html) - this shows that the 12.2JA train flowed into the 12.2XR branch which will flow into the 12.3JA train. The next IOS release, 12.3(2)JA, will be out shortly.

At present, 12.2(15)XR2 is the most stable and generally recommended IOS for APs.

In general, as you can see, the AP IOS train delivers both new features and bugfixes. There is no "maintenance-only" branch available or planned. If anyone in this forum has opinions on AP IOS, please post or unicast them to me, and I'll pass them on to product management.

As far as the issue of specific bugs being encountered in specific releases of AP IOS: TAC cases and IOS DDTSes comprise the successful path towards solving bugs. If you are encountering what looks like a bug, you should open a TAC case. If this is a known bug, be sure that your case is linked to that DDTS. If this is NOT a known bug, be sure that your TAC engineer finds or files one, and links your case to the DDTS. You can look up and track DDTS status via Bug Toolkit. If there are specific high impact DDTSes that aren't getting fixed, then I need to know about them.

Aaron