Wireless LAP Admin Status Disabled

[ferhanahmad]

Hello,

We have a Cisco 5508 Wireless LAN Controller (version 7.4.121.0) which is currently supporting 32 access points (various different models). These access points are spread across many offices globally and all connect to the WLC through a site-to-site VPN tunnel. All these access points are in FlexConnect mode.

The issue we are facing is that some of the access points' admin status changes to 'Disabled' randomly, and then it will require manual intervention for bringing them back to 'Enabled' which is an issue for us as these offices are spread globally and we are not in the office when some of our offices are in their working hours.

I have attached a screenshot of what I saw when I entered the office this morning. As you will see, there is no consistency with the APs that have changed to 'Disabled'. There is no common AP model or location that went down. In some offices which have multiple APs there are some APs that stayed Enabled and some changed to Disabled.

All the access points are configured the same and are in the same 'AP Group' and have nothing different configured between them. Each relevant country code has been added on this WLC to support all the relevant countries also.

Has anyone come across this before?

Thanks in advance.

Ferhan Ahmad

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

Each relevant country code has been added on this WLC to support all the relevant countries also.

I know why. 

The controller is "hosting" numerous & CONFLICTING regulatory domain.  The behaviour of the controller is normal.  

[ferhanahmad]

Hi Leo,

Thanks for the response. 

I have gone through all our APs on this controller and have found 3 APs with "conflicting regulatory domains." 

Mexico APs:

Regulatory Domains 802.11bg:-A    802.11a:-N

Brazil AP:

Regulatory Domains 802.11bg:-A    802.11a:-T 

So just to confirm, because these regulatory domains are conflicting on these 3 APs, it causes other multiple APs to change their admin status to "disabled" on this controller? Is there any documentation from Cisco which confirms this behaviour?

I have found the following section on Cisco's website regarding country codes:

Although the controller supports different access points in different regulatory domains (countries), it requires all radios in a single access point to be configured for the same regulatory domain. For example, you should not configure a Cisco 1231 access point’s 802.11b/g radio for the US (-A) regulatory domain and its 802.11a radio for the Great Britain (-E) regulatory domain. Otherwise, the controller allows only one of the access point’s radios to turn on, depending on which regulatory domain you selected for the access point on the controller. Therefore, make sure that the same country code is configured for both of the access point’s radios.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/7-4/configuration/guides/consolidated/b_cg74_CONSOLIDATED/b_cg74_CONSOLIDATED_chapter_01110111.html

This states that the controller will only allow one of the APs radios to turn on in this scenario, however in our scenario it bring the whole AP down by changing its admin status to "disabled."

Regards

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

So just to confirm, because these regulatory domains are conflicting on these 3 APs, it causes other multiple APs to change their admin status to "disabled" on this controller? Is there any documentation from Cisco which confirms this behaviour?

Raise a TAC case using this thread to get confirmation.

[gohussai]

Strange issue. But i think you much confirm weather on conflicting domains LAPs , are the Radios[b/g/a] on same regulatory domain or not as indicated by Cisco.

Further just disable the country code on these 3LAPs and enable them again one by one and check the status side by side. 

NotE: - Also check syslogd for these LAPS.

Hope this will solve the issue.