Unable to upgrade my AIR-AP1815I-E-K9, which can't connect to the WLC

[Soxickano]

Hello everyone, I am here to ask for some help to understand how Cisco's APs are updated, and more precisly, what is the purpose of each firmware, and also what is the issue with mine.

The point is : My 1815i is working as it should, but when I give it its IP configuration, it can't manage to link with the WLC which is in the same VLAN (the two devices are pinging each other).

This is why I think it is a firmware issue because my 1815i is on 8.5.140.0 whereas my WLC is on 8.10.183.0. The thing is, if I'm not wrong, in a WLC system, it should be it who give the firmware to the APs connected to itself, so how is this one supposed to get its image updated if it can't connect to the WLC.

My issue is even with a serial access, I fail at updating the firmware, so it makes me unsure of the updating command, unsure of the archive or the file I give to the AP in TFTP and I would like to understand all of that for once. I even tried to convert it from CAPWAP to ME but it didn't work so even this, I am unsure of the difference between these two modes.

This is the reason why I am asking for help to see through all of this.

[marce1000]

      >....I even tried to convert it from CAPWAP to ME but it didn't work so even this, I 
   - If you want it to connect to a controller then it should run a capwap image ,

 M.

[JPavonM]

If you have console access to the AP, try this set of commands:

debug capwap client detail
debug capwap client events
terminal monitor
// Force AP to connect to WLC
capwap ap primary <wlc-name> <wlc-ip>

[Soxickano]

For Marce1000 :
I agree and I have a set of C9105 that are all in capwap mode but then would you know of this set of 1815i are working in CAPWAP and ME at the same time ?
Here is the screenshot of most of them on the controller :

For JPavonM :

Yes I am connected to the AP on the console interface. 
For the two first commands, I did them on the said AP and it didn't display anything.

For the third one, it didn't solve the issue but a lot of line displayed quickly. Here's what was about the AP :

*spamApTask0: Jan 15 16:14:36.159: 00:00:00:00:00:00 CAPWAP Control Msg Received from 192.168.1.10:5256

*spamApTask0: Jan 15 16:14:36.159: @mac packet received of length 24 from 192.168.1.10:5256

*spamApTask0: Jan 15 16:14:36.159: @mac Msg Type = 13 Capwap state = 10

*spamApTask0: Jan 15 16:14:36.160: @mac Echo req: Total msgEleLen = 0

*spamApTask0: Jan 15 16:14:36.160: @mac Sending encrypted packet to AP 192.168.1.10(5256)

For more info on the issue, here is also what is showing up frequently on the AP :

CAPWAP State: Image Data
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.2999] AP current image version 8.5.140.0
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.2999] Controller current image version 8.10.183.0
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.2999] Version does not match.
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.2999] AP backup image version 0.0.0.0
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.3899] do PRECHECK, part1 is active part
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399] Sending msg CAPWAP_IMAGE_DATA_REQUEST, type = 15, len = 38, sendSeqNum = 0, posted by = wtpSendImageDataRequest
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399] Stopping Post Join Timer and Starting HeartBeat Timer
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399] Image Data Request sent to 192.168.1.1
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399] Image Data Response from 192.168.1.1
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399]
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399] AC accepted join request with result code: 0
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4399]
[*01/16/2024 15:42:41.4499] Starting image download.............
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199]
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] << beginning of the TLV entry table, totally 4 entries >>
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] TLV_AP_THROUGHPUT_PAYLOAD(745): level: 0, type: NESTED
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] .TLV_AP_THROUGHPUT_SLOTID(746): level: 1, type: 1BYTE, value: [1], length: 1
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] .TLV_AP_THROUGHPUT_TXBYTES(747): level: 1, type: 4BYTE, value: [0], length: 4
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] .TLV_AP_THROUGHPUT_RXBYTES(748): level: 1, type: 4BYTE, value: [0], length: 4
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] << end of the TLV entry table>>
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199]
[*01/16/2024 15:44:58.2199] Discarding msg CAPWAP_WTP_EVENT_REQUEST(type 9) in CAPWAP state: Image Data(10).

[marce1000]

 - FYI : https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/me-and-and-lightweight-access-points/m-p/3903548#M170678

 M.

[Rich R]

> "my WLC is on 8.10.183.0"
Actually I believe you are using Mobility Express which is quite different to WLC when it comes to image download.
WLC keeps a copy of the image for every type of supported AP to download.
ME does not because the AP does not have space to store all the images.
You didn't say what model of AP your ME controller is?
Let's assume it's 1815i: https://software.cisco.com/download/home/286306794/type/286289839/release/8.10.183.0
AIR-AP1815-K9-ME-8-10-183-0.zip

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_01000.html#task_4387C8D3ADCA4D9EA365763A1DA5B2E2

When an AP connected to ME needs to be upgraded it needs to download the image from a TFTP server which the ME controller tells it up.  You have to configure the TFTP server IP on the ME controller so that it can tell the APs.
You also need to extract the contents of the ME zip file on your TFTP server ready for the APs to download from.