text:
Have an account?
Need an account?Create an account
Table of Contents
Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 22.214.171.124
Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
Enhancements Related to Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)
Datagram Transport Layer Security on Cisco 5508 Controller
Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software Release 22.214.171.124
Software Release Support for Access Points
Interoperability With Other Clients in 220.127.116.11
Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software 188.8.131.52 in Mesh Networks
Upgrading to a New Software Release
Upgrading the Controller Software (GUI)
Installing Field Upgrade Software
Information About Field Upgrade Software
Downloading Field Upgrade Software
Installing Field Upgrade Software
Verifying the Upgraded Components
FCC Safety Compliance Statement
Using the Controller USB Console Port
Important Notes for Controllers and Nonmesh Access Points
WPlus License Features Included in Base License
Additive Licenses Available for Controllers
One-Time Password (OTP) Support
RADIUS Called-station-id and Calling-station-id Attributes
Using Access Points in Sniffer Mode
Inter-Release Controller Mobility
802.11g Controller and 802.11b Clients
CAPWAP Problems with Firewalls and ACLs
Messages Appearing Upon Controller Bootup
Crash Files for Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points
Configuration File Stored in XML
Issues with APs That Transmit Multicast Frames at Highest Configured Basic Rate and Management Frames with Lowest Basic Rates
802.11a Channels 120, 124, and 128 Disabled
Impact of External Antenna Gain on Transmit Power
Supporting Oversized Access Point Images
MAC Filtering for WGB Wired Clients
CKIP Not Supported with Dynamic WEP
Setting the Date and Time on the Controller
Synchronizing the Controller and Location Appliance
FCC DFS Support on 1130 Series Access Points
Inaccurate Transmit Power Display
Setting the Retransmit Timeout Value for TACACS+ Servers
Configuring Prestandard Power Setting of an Access Point
Controller Functions that Require a Reboot
Rate-Limiting on the Controller
Pings Supported to the Management Interface of the Controller
Pinging from a Network Device to a Controller Dynamic Interface
4400 Series Controllers Do Not Forward Subnet Broadcasts through the Guest Tunnel
Connecting 1100 and 1300 Series Access Points
Preventing Clients from Accessing the Management Network on a Controller
Voice Wireless LAN Configuration
Enabling/Disabling Band Selection and Client Load Balancing
Changing the IOS LWAPP Access Point Password
Exclusion List (Blacklist) Client Feature
RADIUS Servers and the Management VLAN
TACACS+ and NMS Servers and the Management VLAN
Management Usernames and Local Netuser Names
Home Page Retains Web Authentication Login with IE 5.x
Changing the Default Values of SNMP Community Strings
Changing the Default Values for SNMP v3 Users
DirectStream Feature Is Not Supported With WGB
Enforce a minimum configured data rate
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2100 Series Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers
Some Clients See Only 64 Access Point MAC Addresses (BSSIDs) at a Time
Upgrading External Web Authentication
Switch Port and Controller Port
Unsupported mac-address Command for Unified and Autonomous Access Points
Fast Roaming and Authentication/Key Management for CCKM Clients
Errors When Using AAA with an Active RADIUS Fallback
Roaming Clients When Access Points are in Standalone Mode
Using Lightweight Access Points with NAT
Important Notes for Controllers and Mesh Access Points
Features Not Supported on Mesh Networks
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 22.214.171.124
First Published: August 18, 2014
These release notes describe open and resolved caveats for release 184.108.40.206 for the following hardware platforms:
- Cisco 2100, 2500, 4400, 5500, and Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco Wireless Services Modules (WiSMs), Cisco Wireless Services Module (WiSM2), Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Modules
- Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller Switches, Cisco 3201 Wireless Mobile Interface Cards (WMICs)
- Cisco Aironet 1100, 1130, 1140, 1200, 1230AG, 1240, 1250, 1300, 1522, 1524, 1550, 1552S, AP3500, AP1260, AP1040, AP801, and AP 802 Series Lightweight Access Points; Cisco OEAP 600 Series Access Points; Cisco Aironet 1130AG, 1240AG, 1522, and 1524 Mesh Access Points, which are part of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network (UWN) Solution
Note Unless otherwise noted, all of the Cisco Wireless LAN controllers are referred to as controllers, and all of the Cisco lightweight access points are referred to as access points.
These release notes contain the following sections:
- Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
- Controller Requirements
- MIB Files
- What's New in This Release
- Software Release Information
- Upgrading to a New Software Release
- Installing Field Upgrade Software
- Installation Notes
- Using the Controller USB Console Port
- Important Notes for Controllers and Nonmesh Access Points
- Important Notes for Controllers and Mesh Access Points
- Caveats
- Troubleshooting
- Documentation Updates
- Related Documentation
- Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
The following components are part of the Cisco UWN Solution and are compatible in this release:
- Software release 184.108.40.206 for all Cisco controllers and lightweight access points
- Cisco IOS version 12.4(23c)JA4
- Cisco autonomous to lightweight mode upgrade tool release 3.0
- Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) software release 220.127.116.11
- Cisco WCS Navigator 184.108.40.206
- Mobility services engine software release 184.108.40.206 and Context-Aware Software
Note Client and tag licenses are required in order to retrieve contextual (such as location) information within the Context-Aware Software. For more information, see the Release Notes for Cisco 3350 Mobility Services Engine for Software Release 220.127.116.11.
- Cisco 3350, 3310 Mobility Services Engines
- Cisco 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco 2500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco Wireless Services Module (WiSM) for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers
- Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2) for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches
- Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module for Cisco Integrated Services Routers
Note The 188.8.131.52 release does not support the NM-AIR-WLC6 platform. The NME-AIR-WLC platform is supported.
Support for the NM-AIR-WLC6 platform ended with the 22.214.171.124 release.
- Catalyst 3750G Wireless LAN Controller Switches
- Cisco 3201 Wireless Mobile Interface Cards (WMICs)
- Cisco Aironet 1130AG, 1240AG, AP 1550, 1522, 1552S, and 1524 Mesh Access Points
- Cisco Aironet 1100, 1130, 1140, 1200, 1230AG, 1240, 1250, AP1260, 1300, AP3500, AP 1040, OEAP 600 Series Access Points, 1522, 1552S, 1524, 1550, 3500p, AP801, and AP802 Series Lightweight Access Points
Note Controller software release 18.104.22.168 or later is not compatible with Cisco Aironet 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1510 Series Access Points.
The AP801 is an integrated access point on the Cisco 800 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs). For more information on the SKUs for the access points and the ISRs, refer to the following data sheets:
Note The AP802 is an integrated access point on the Next Generation Cisco 880 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs).
Note Only Cisco Aironet 1200 Series Access Points that contain 802.11g (AIR-MP21G) or second-generation 802.11a radios (AIR-RM21A or AIR-RM22A) are supported for use with controller software releases. The AIR-RM20A radio, which was included in early 1200 series access point models, is not supported. To see the type of radio module installed in your access point, enter this command on the access point: show controller dot11radio n, where n is the number of the radio (0 or 1).
Controller Requirements
The controller GUI requires the following operating system and web browser:
MIB Files
Cisco controllers support standard SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) files. MIBs can be downloaded from the Cisco Software Center at http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html . Only one MIB is posted per major release (184.108.40.206, 184.108.40.206, 126.96.36.199, 184.108.40.206, 6.0, and so on). If an updated MIB is available, the previous version is removed from the Software Center and replaced by the new version.
What's New in This Release
The following enhancements are available with the 22.214.171.124 release:
Enhancements Related to Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)
- You can upgrade to a new release of controller software or downgrade to an older release even if FIPS is enabled.
- Additional system logging is done to the syslog server when FIPS is enabled.
Note At the informational and debugging syslog level, the logs can be very large in number.
Secure System Logging
System logs can be sent to the syslog server over a secure TLS session.
Note The syslog server should have an X.509 certificate and support TLS input.
To configure sending system logs to syslog servers over a secure TLS session, use this command:
config logging syslog tls { enable | disable }
This configuration applies to all the configured syslog servers.
Support for UNII-2 Band
The AIR-CAP1552x-A-K9 and the AIR-CAP3502P-A-K9 access points support additional 5-GHz channels known as the UNII-2 band. The 18.104.22.168 release adds support for channels in the 5.250-GHz to 5.350-GHz range and the 5.470-GHz to 5.725-GHz band. Channels in this range are subject to meeting the DFS requirement to avoid interference with weather radar signals.
Also with the 18.104.22.168 release, the –K, –R, –S, and –T regulatory domains are added. For the appropriate regulatory domain for each country, see the WLAN Compliance table at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/access-points/product_data_sheet0900aecd80537b6a.html
Datagram Transport Layer Security on Cisco 5508 Controller
DTLS default settings on the Cisco 5508 Controller is changed from being enabled to disabled.
You can downgrade a Cisco 5508 Controller that has a DTLS image to a controller that does not have a DTLS image.
VLAN Select Feature Changes
The VLAN select feature enables you to use a single WLAN that can support multiple VLANs. Clients can get assigned to one of the configured VLANs. This feature enables you to map a WLAN to a single or multiple interface VLANs using interface groups.
In the previous release, wireless clients associated with the WLAN by getting an IP address from the pool of subnets using a round-robin algorithm. In this release, the wireless clients that associate with the WLAN get an IP address from a pool of subnets based on the MAC address of the wireless client.
Software Release Information
The software is factory installed on your controller and automatically downloaded to the access points after a release upgrade and whenever an access point joins a controller. We recommend that you install the latest software version available for maximum operational benefit.
Guidelines and Limitations
- The Cisco WiSM requires software release SWISMK9-32 or later releases. The Supervisor 720 12.2(18)SXF2 supports the Cisco WiSM software release 22.214.171.124 or later, and the Supervisor 720 12.2(18)SXF5 (Cisco IOS Software Modularity) supports the Cisco WiSM software release 18.104.22.168 (with Cisco IOS Software Modularity).
- To use the Cisco WiSM in the Cisco 7609 and 7613 Series Routers, the routers must be installed with Cisco IOS Release 12.2(18)SXF5 or later.
- The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module is supported on Cisco 2800/3700/3800 Series Integrated Services Routers running Cisco IOS Release 12.4(15)T, 15.0(1)M or later, and on 2900/3900 ISRs running 15.0(1)M and later.
The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module is also supported on Cisco 1941/2900/3900/3900E Series Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 running Cisco IOS Release 15.1(3)T or later universal image.
Note Use Cisco IOS Release 15.1(3)T.01 if you use the Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 with packet voice/data module (PVDM).
- To use the controller in the Catalyst 3750G Wireless LAN Controller Switch, the switch must be running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(25)FZ, 12.2(35)SE or later, 12.2(37)SE or later, 12.2(44)SE or later, or 12.2(46)SE or later. The following Cisco IOS Releases and any variants are not supported: 12.2(25)SEC, 12.2(25)SED, 12.2(25)SEE, 12.2(25)SEF, and 12.2(25)SEG. All Catalyst 3750 software feature sets (IP Base, IP Service, and Advanced IP Services) are supported for use with the controller.
- You can use the Cisco 2112 and 2125 Series Controllers only with software release 126.96.36.199 or later.
- The Cisco 526 Wireless Express Mobility Controller is supported only on the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller, Release 22.214.171.124 and earlier releases. The later releases do not support the Cisco 526 Wireless Express Mobility Controller.
Finding the Software Release
To find the software release running on your controller, click Monitor and look at the Software Version field under Controller Summary on the controller GUI, or enter show sysinfo on the controller CLI.
Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software Release 188.8.131.52
Before upgrading your controller to software release 184.108.40.206, you must comply with the following rules:
- Before you download a software image or an ER.aes file to a 2100 series controller or a controller network module, use the show memory statistics CLI command to see the current amount of free memory. If the controller has less than 90 MB of free memory, you must reboot it before downloading the file.
- Cisco 860 ISR is not supported as an access point in a unified wireless deployment.
- If you are using a Cisco 880 ISR, you must use Cisco IOS 12.4(20)T or later releases with an advanced IP services license.
- If you are using a Cisco 890 ISR, you must use Cisco IOS 12.4(22)YB. The advanced IP service license is enabled by default on Cisco 890 ISR.
- Ensure that you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the software upgrade. Follow these guidelines when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
– Controller software release 126.96.36.199 is larger than 32 MB; therefore, you must ensure that your TFTP server supports files that are larger than 32 MB. Some TFTP servers that support files of this size are tftpd and the TFTP server within the WCS. If you attempt to download the 184.108.40.206 controller software and your TFTP server does not support files of this size, the following error message appears: "TFTP failure while storing in flash."
– If you are upgrading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same subnet as the service port because the service port is not routable; or you must create static routes on the controller.
– If you are upgrading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can be on the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.
– A third-party TFTP or FTP server cannot run on the same computer as WCS because the WCS built-in TFTP or FTP server and the third-party TFTP or FTP server require the same communication port.
- You can upgrade or downgrade the controller software only between certain releases. In some instances, you must first install an intermediate release prior to upgrading to software release 188.8.131.52. Table 1 shows the upgrade path that you must follow before downloading software release 126.96.36.199.
- Before you use an AP802 series lightweight access point with controller software release 18.104.22.168, you must upgrade the software in the Next Generation Cisco 880 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) to Cisco IOS 151-4.M or later releases.
- When you upgrade the controller to an intermediate software release, wait until all of the access points associated with the controller are upgraded to the intermediate release before you install the 22.214.171.124 software. In large networks, it can take some time to download the software on each access point.
- You cannot install the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 22.214.171.124 ER.aes file on the Cisco 5500 Controller platform.
- If you upgrade to the controller software release 22.214.171.124 from an earlier release, you must also upgrade WCS to 126.96.36.199 and MSE to 126.96.36.199.
- Field Upgrade Software (FUS) is a special AES package that contains several system related component upgrades. These include the bootloader, field recovery image, and FPGA/MCU firmware. Installing the FUS image requires special attention because it installs some critical firmware. The FUS image is independent of the runtime image. FUS version 220.127.116.11 can be used for the 220.127.116.11 release. For more information, see the "Installing Field Upgrade Software" section.
- The ER
.aesfiles are independent from the controller software files. You can run any controller software file with any ER.aes file. However, installing the latest boot software file (126.96.36.199 ER.aes) ensures that the boot software modifications in all of the previous and current boot software ER.aes files are installed.
- Consider a network deployment scenario where an OfficeExtend Access Point is configured with the Least Latency Join option enabled and the controller is configured with NAT enabled. The Least Latency Join feature enables the access point to choose a controller with the least latency when joining, that is, when the feature is enabled, the access point calculates the time between the discovery request and the response and joins the controller that responds first. NAT enables a device such as a router to act as an agent between the Internet and the local network. NAT enables you to map the intranet IP address of a controller to a corresponding external address.
When an OfficeExtend Access Point that is configured with the Least Latency Join option and is upgraded to the controller release 184.108.40.206 tries to associate to the controller with NAT enabled, the access point fails to join the controller. Due to an update to the software code of 188.8.131.52, the OEAP tries to join the non-NAT IP address, fails to join, and tries a rediscovery that fails again. The OEAP can never connect to the controller.
The issue can be resolved by setting the access point mode to local mode on the controller and let the access point join the controller. On joining, you must disable least latency join and upgrade to 126.96.36.199 release.
- If you require a downgrade from one release to another, you might lose the configuration from your current release. The workaround is to reload the previous controller configuration files saved on the backup server or to reconfigure the controller.
- Control which address(es) are sent in CAPWAP discovery responses when NAT is enabled on the Management Interface using the following command:
config network ap-discovery nat-ip-only { enable | disable }
– enable — Enables use of NAT IP only in Discovery response. This is the default. Use this command if all APs are outside of the NAT gateway.
– disable —Enables use of both NAT IP and non-NAT IP in discovery response. Use this command if APs are on the inside and outside of the NAT gateway; for example, Local Mode and OfficeExtend APs on the same controller.
Note To avoid stranding APs, you must disable AP link-latency (if enabled) before you use the disable option for the config network ap-discovery nat-ip-only command. To disable AP link-latency, use the config ap link-latency disable all command.
- If you upgrade from 184.108.40.206 to 184.108.40.206, and if an old image is present in the
/mnt/imagesdirectory in the controller, the upgrade fails for the first time. The upgrade completes successfully when you upgrade again. The upgrade failure could have occurred based on one of the following reasons:
– If the image files are renamed manually in the controller.
– The files
initrd.bak, and
initrd.priare files that are shipped with the 4.2 release and over time these filenames have changed resulting in a failed upgrade.
Table 1 Upgrade Path to Controller Software Release 188.8.131.52
Upgrade to 126.96.36.199 or later 4.0 release, then upgrade to 18.104.22.168, before upgrading to 22.214.171.124.
Upgrade to 188.8.131.52 or later 4.2 releases before upgrading to 18.104.22.168.
Upgrade to 184.108.40.206M and then to 18.104.22.168 before upgrading to 18.104.22.168.
Upgrade to a 5.2 or a 6.0 release and then upgrade to 22.214.171.124.
Software Release Support for Access Points
Table 2 lists the controller software releases that support specific Cisco access points. The First Support column lists the earliest controller software release that supports the access point. For access points that are not supported in ongoing releases, the Last Support column lists the last release that supports the access point.
-A and N: 18.104.22.168 or 5.2 or later1
Interoperability With Other Clients in 188.8.131.52
This section describes the interoperability of the version of controller software with other client devices.
Table 3 describes the configuration used for testing the clients.
Cisco 4400 Series Controller and Cisco 5500 Series Controller
Open, WEP, PSK (WPA and WPA2), 802.1X (WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES) (LEAP, PEAP, EAP-FAST, EAP-TLS)
Connectivity, traffic, and roaming between two access points
Table 4 lists the versions of the clients. The traffic tests included data or voice. The clients included laptops, handheld devices, phones, and printers.
Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software 18.104.22.168 in Mesh Networks
Before upgrading your controller to software release 188.8.131.52 in a mesh network, you must comply with the following rules.
Upgrade Compatibility Matrix
Table 5 outlines the upgrade compatibility of controller mesh and nonmesh releases and indicates the intermediate software releases required as part of the upgrade path.
Software Upgrade Notes
The software upgrade notes are as follows:
- You can upgrade from 188.8.131.52M and 18.104.22.168M to 18.104.22.168 without any configuration file loss. See Table 5 for the available upgrade paths.
Note If you downgrade to a mesh release, you must then reconfigure the controller. We recommend that you save the configuration from the mesh release before upgrading to release 22.214.171.124 for the first time. Then, you can reapply the configuration if you need to downgrade.
- It is not possible to downgrade from controller software release 188.8.131.52 to a mesh release (for example, 18.104.22.168, 18.104.22.168M, or 4.1.192.xM) without losing your configuration settings.
- Configuration files are in the binary state immediately after an upgrade from a mesh release to controller software release 126.96.36.199. After a reset, the XML configuration file is selected.
- Do not edit XML files.
- Any field with an invalid value is filtered out and set to default by the XML validation engine. Validation occurs during bootup.
- If you upgrade the controller from software release 4.1.191.xM to 4.1.192.xM and then to software release 220.127.116.11, the controller might reboot without a crash file. To work around this problem, manually reset the controller without saving the configuration after you upgrade the controller to software release 188.8.131.52. Also, make sure to check the RRM configuration settings after the reset to verify that they are correct (CSCsv50357).
Table 5 Upgrade Compatibility Matrix for Controller Mesh and Nonmesh Releases from
220.127.116.11 Release and Later Releases
2.You can upgrade directly from software release 188.8.131.52 to 184.108.40.206M; however, upgrading to 18.104.22.168M before upgrading to 22.214.171.124M is highly recommended.
3.Customers who require dynamic frequency selection (DFS) functionality should not use this release. This release does not provide DFS functionality fixes found in release 184.108.40.206. Additionally, this release is not supported in ETSI-compliant countries or Singapore.
Upgrading to a New Software Release
When you upgrade to the latest software release, the software on the access points associated with the controller is also automatically upgraded. When an access point is loading software, each of its LEDs blinks in succession. Up to 10 access points can be concurrently upgraded from the controller.
Guidelines and Limitations
- The Cisco 5500 Series Controllers can download the 126.96.36.199 software to 500 access points simultaneously.
- Multicast mode is not supported on the Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend access points.
- Do not power down the controller or any access point during the upgrade process; otherwise, you might corrupt the software image. Upgrading a controller with a large number of access points can take as long as 30 minutes, depending on the size of your network. However, with the increased number of concurrent access point upgrades supported in software release 220.127.116.11 and later, the upgrade time should be significantly reduced. The access points must remain powered, and the controller must not be reset during this time.
- In controller software release 5.2 or later, the WLAN override feature has been removed from both the controller GUI and CLI. If your controller is configured for WLAN override and you upgrade to controller software release 184.108.40.206, the controller deletes the WLAN configuration and broadcasts all WLANs. You can specify that only certain WLANs be transmitted by configuring access point groups. Each access point advertises only the enabled WLANs that belong to its access point group.
- If a WiSM controller is heavily loaded with access points and clients and is running heavy traffic, a software upgrade sometimes causes an Ethernet receive-path lockup and the hardware watchdog sometimes trips. You might need to reset the controller to return to normal operation.
- Do not install the 220.127.116.11 controller software file and the 220.127.116.11 ER.aes boot software file at the same time. Install one file and reboot the controller and install the other file and reboot the controller.
- When upgrading from 220.127.116.11 to 184.108.40.206 release, access points with names that contain spaces will lose their configured name. For example, if an access point was named "APTestName 12," after upgrade, when the access point rejoins the controller, the name is truncated to "APTestName."
- If you want to downgrade from 188.8.131.52 release to a previous release, do either of the following:
– Delete all WLANs that are mapped to interface groups and create new ones.
– Ensure that all WLANs are mapped to interfaces rather than interface groups.
- If you are using controller software release 188.8.131.52 and if you have configured multicast interfaces, do not use the same configuration file for the 18.104.22.168 release. Using the 220.127.116.11 configuration file with multicast interfaces in the 220.127.116.11 release might cause the controller to be unresponsive.
- When upgrading the controller software from release an earlier release to 220.127.116.11, the controllers that were previously reachable from WCS with SNMPv3 authentication are now unreachable.
Use any of the following workarounds to correct this issue:
– In WCS, change the SNMP credentials for this controller to v2C and then back to V3.
– Add the controller to the WCS.
Note When a config XML is downloaded, the SNMP engine ID is reset to the default value. If the SNMP engine ID is configured, you must configure it again after you apply the newly downloaded configuration.
- When you upgrade a mesh network to the 126.96.36.199 release and select a certain channel number during the upgrade process, the MAP might be unable to join its parent. The workaround to this issue is as follows:
For AP1552 operating in the U.S. domain, when upgrading the mesh network from 18.104.22.168 or 22.214.171.124 release to the 18.104.22.168 release, select channel (149, 153) or (157, 161) if you choose 40-MHz bandwidth for backhaul. After the upgrade is propagated to the whole of the mesh network, then you can change to the other channel selection.
Upgrading the Controller Software (GUI)
Step 1 Upload your controller configuration files to a server to back them up.
Note We highly recommend that you back up your controller's configuration files prior to upgrading the controller software. Otherwise, you must manually reconfigure the controller.
Step 2 Follow these steps to obtain the 22.214.171.124 controller software and the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 188.8.131.52 ER.aes file from the Software Center on Cisco.com:
a. Click this URL to go to the Software Center:
c. Click Wireless LAN Controllers .
d. Click Standalone Controllers or Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules .
f. If necessary, click a controller model.
g. If you chose Standalone Controllers in Step Click Standalone Controllers or Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules., click Wireless LAN Controller Software .
h. If you chose Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series/7600 Series Wireless Services Module (WiSM) in Step Click a controller series., click Wireless Services Modules (WiSM) Software .
i. Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release to download:
- Early Deployment (ED) —These software releases provide new features and new hardware platform support as well as bug fixes.
- Maintenance Deployment (MD) —These software releases provide bug fixes and ongoing software maintenance.
- Deferred (DF) —These software releases have been deferred. We recommend that you migrate to an upgraded release.
j. Click a software release number.
k. Click the filename ( filename .aes).
m. Read Cisco's End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree .
n. Save the file to your hard drive.
o. Repeat steps a. through n. to download the remaining file (either the 22.214.171.124 controller software or the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 220.127.116.11 ER.aes file).
Step 3 Copy the controller software file ( filename .aes) and the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 18.104.22.168 ER.aes file to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Step 4 (Optional) Disable the controller 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks.
Note For busy networks, controllers on high utilization, or small controller platforms it is advisable to disable the 802.11a/b/g/n networks as a precautionary measure.
Step 5 Click Commands > Download File to open the Download File to Controller page.
Step 6 From the File Type drop-down list, choose Code .
Step 7 From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose TFTP or FTP.
Step 8 In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP or FTP server.
Step 9 If you are using a TFTP server, the default values of 10 retries for the Maximum Retries text field, and 6 seconds for the Timeout text field should work fine without any adjustment. However, you can change these values if desired. To do so, enter the maximum number of times that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Maximum Retries text box and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Timeout text box.
Step 10 In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the software.
Step 11 In the File Name text box, enter the name of the software file ( filename .aes).
Step 12 If you are using an FTP server, follow these steps:
a. In the Server Login Username text box, enter the username to log on to the FTP server.
b. In the Server Login Password text box, enter the password to log on to the FTP server.
c. In the Server Port Number text box, enter the port number on the FTP server through which the download occurs. The default value is 21.
Step 13 Click Download to download the software to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.
Step 14 After the download is complete, click Reboot .
Step 15 If prompted to save your changes, click Save and Reboot .
Step 16 Click OK to confirm your decision to reboot the controller.
Step 17 After the controller reboots, repeat Click Commands > Download File to open the Download File to Controller page. to Click OK to confirm your decision to reboot the controller. to install the remaining file (either the 188.8.131.52 controller software or the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 188.8.131.52 ER.aes file).
Step 18 For Cisco WiSMs, reenable the controller port channel on the Catalyst switch.
Step 19 If you have disabled the 802.11a/b/g networks in (Optional) Disable the controller 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks., reenable them.
Step 20 If desired, reload your latest configuration file to the controller.
Step 21 To verify that the 22.214.171.124 controller software is installed on your controller, click Monitor on the controller GUI and look at the Software Version field under Controller Summary.
Step 22 To verify that the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 126.96.36.199 ER.aes file is installed on your controller, enter the show sysinfo command on the controller CLI and look at the Emergency Image Version field.
Note If you do not install the 22.214.171.124 ER.aes file, the Emergency Image Version field shows "N/A."
Installing Field Upgrade Software
Information About Field Upgrade Software
Field Upgrade Software (FUS) is a special AES package that performs various system-related component upgrades. We recommend that you perform an FUS upgrade (if needed) to upgrade components such as the bootloader, field recovery image, FPGA/MCU, and other firmware to their latest respective versions.
Note On Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, it is observed that the controller sporadically reboots (bug CSCtr39523) and displays the following FPGA error message:
fpga: Lost heartbeat from Environment controller, system will reboot in 5 seconds!!!
A crash file is not created to debug or troubleshoot the error.)
You can resolve this issue by upgrading to FUS 220.127.116.11 or greater. For more information on the FUS upgrade, see
Guidelines and Limitations
Caution Ensure that there are no power outages during the upgrade. Power outages during the upgrade may lead to the controller not being usable.
– Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controller
– Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2)
- You do not need to install FUS if you have a Cisco 2500 Series Controller platform.
- You must install FUS only once.
- The controller must be connected to a console during the upgrade.
- After you install FUS for a Cisco Flex 7500 Controller platform, the RAID firmware is also upgraded. During the installation process, the console messages displayed do indicate upgrade of the RAID firmware. However, it is not possible to verify the RAID firmware upgrade either by entering a command or viewing the bootlog.
Downloading Field Upgrade Software
Step 1 Go to the Cisco Software Center at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html
Step 2 Choose Products > Wireless > Wireless LAN Controller .
Step 3 Choose either of the following depending on the controller platform you use:
Step 4 Choose the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.
Step 5 Choose Wireless LAN Controller Software .
Step 6 Click a controller software release. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release to download:
- Early Deployment (ED) —These software releases provide new features and new hardware platform support as well as bug fixes.
- Maintenance Deployment (MD) —These software releases provide bug fixes and ongoing software maintenance.
- Deferred (DF) —These software releases have been deferred. We recommend that you migrate to an upgraded release.
Step 7 Click a software release number. Click the filename ( filename .aes). The following AES files are available for various controller platforms:
Step 9 Read Cisco's End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree .
Step 10 Save the file to your hard drive.
Step 11 Copy the AES file ( filename .aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Installing Field Upgrade Software
Step 1 Enter the following commands on the controller CLI:
a. transfer download datatype code
b. transfer download serverip serverip
c. transfer download mode { tftp | ftp }
d. transfer download username user
e. transfer download password password
f. transfer download filename filename.aes
Step 2 Enter the following command to reboot the controller:
Information similar to the following appears:0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11% 12% 13% 14% 15% 16% 17% 18% 19% 20% 20% 21% 22% 23% 24% 25% 26% 27% 28% 29% 30% 31% 32% 33% 34% 35% 36% 37% 38% 39% 40% 41% 41% 42% 43% 44% 45% 46% 47% 48% 49% 50% 51% 52% 53% 54% 55% 56% 57% 58% 59% 60% 61% 61% 62% 63% 64% 65% 66% 67% 68% 69% 70% 71% 72% 73% 74% 75% 76% 77% 78% 79% 80% 81% 82% 82% 83% 84% 85% 86% 87% 88% 89% 90% 91% 92% 93% 94% 95% 96% 97% 98% 99% 100%
The controller reboots with the upgraded component.
Step 4 The controller might undergo multiple reboot cycles to upgrade all the components. Press y when you are prompted to reboot the controller. After all the components are upgraded, the controller reboots with the existing controller software version.
Installation Notes
This section contains important information to keep in mind when installing controllers and access points.
Warning This warning means danger. You are in a situation that could cause bodily injury. Before you work on any equipment, be aware of the hazards involved with electrical circuitry and be familiar with standard practices for preventing accidents. Use the statement number provided at the end of each warning to locate its translation in the translated safety warnings that accompanied this device. Statement 1071
Warning Only trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to install, replace, or service this equipment. Statement 1030
Warning Do not locate the antenna near overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits, or where it can come into contact with such circuits. When installing the antenna, take extreme care not to come into contact with such circuits, as they may cause serious injury or death. For proper installation and grounding of the antenna, please refer to national and local codes (e.g. U.S.: NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, Article 810, Canada: Canadian Electrical Code, Section 54). Statement 280
Warning This product relies on the building's installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that a fuse or circuit breaker no larger than 120 VAC, 15A U.S. (240 VAC, 10A international) is used on the phase conductors (all current-carrying conductors). Statement 13
Warning This equipment must be grounded. Never defeat the ground conductor or operate the equipment in the absence of a suitably installed ground connector. Contact the appropriate electrical inspection authority or an electrician if you are uncertain that suitable grounding is available. Statement 1024
Warning Read the installation instructions before you connect the system to its power source. Statement 10
Warning Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect any cables (Ethernet, cable, or power) during periods of lightning activity. The possibility of serious physical injury exists if lightning should strike and travel through those cables. In addition, the equipment could be damaged by the higher levels of static electricity present in the atmosphere. Statement 276
Warning Do not operate the unit near unshielded blasting caps or in an explosive environment unless the device has been modified to be especially qualified for such use. Statement 364
Warning In order to comply with radio frequency (RF) exposure limits, the antennas for this product should be positioned no less than 6.56 ft. (2 m) from your body or nearby persons. Statement 339
Warning This unit is intended for installation in restricted access areas. A restricted access area can be accessed only through the use of a special tool, lock and key, or other means of security. Statement 1017
Safety Information
Follow the guidelines in this section to ensure proper operation and safe use of the controllers and access points.
FCC Safety Compliance Statement
FCC Compliance with its action in ET Docket 96-8, has adopted a safety standard for human exposure to RF electromagnetic energy emitted by FCC-certified equipment. When used with approved Cisco Aironet antennas, Cisco Aironet products meet the uncontrolled environmental limits found in OET-65 and ANSI C95.1, 1991. Proper operation of this radio device according to the instructions in this publication results in user exposure substantially below the FCC recommended limits.
Safety Precautions
For your safety, and to help you achieve a good installation, read and follow these safety precautions. They might save your life!
1. If you are installing an antenna for the first time, for your own safety as well as others, seek professional assistance. Your Cisco sales representative can explain which mounting method to use for the size and type of antenna you are about to install.
2. Select your installation site with safety as well as performance in mind. Electric power lines and phone lines look alike. For your safety, assume that any overhead line can kill you.
3. Call your electric power company. Tell them your plans and ask them to come look at your proposed installation. This is a small inconvenience considering your life is at stake.
4. Plan your installation carefully and completely before you begin. Successfully raising a mast or tower is largely a matter of coordination. Each person should be assigned to a specific task and should know what to do and when to do it. One person should be in charge of the operation to issue instructions and watch for signs of trouble.
5. When installing an antenna, remember:
b. Do not work on a wet or windy day.
c. Do dress properly—shoes with rubber soles and heels, rubber gloves, long-sleeved shirt or jacket.
6. If the assembly starts to drop, get away from it and let it fall. Remember that the antenna, mast, cable, and metal guy wires are all excellent conductors of electrical current. Even the slightest touch of any of these parts to a power line completes an electrical path through the antenna and the installer: you!
7. If any part of an antenna system should come in contact with a power line, do not touch it or try to remove it yourself. Call your local power company. They will remove it safely.
8. If an accident should occur with the power lines, call for qualified emergency help immediately.
Installation Instructions
Refer to the appropriate quick start guide or hardware installation guide for instructions on installing controllers and access points.
Note To meet regulatory restrictions, all external antenna configurations must be installed by experts.
Personnel installing the controllers and access points must understand wireless techniques and grounding methods. Access points with internal antennas can be installed by an experienced IT professional.
The controller must be installed by a network administrator or qualified IT professional, and the proper country code must be selected. Following installation, access to the controller should be password protected by the installer to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and ensure proper unit functionality.
Using the Controller USB Console Port
The USB console port on the Cisco 5500 Series Controllers and the Cisco WiSM2 connects directly to the USB connector of a PC using a USB Type A-to-5-pin mini Type B cable.
Note The 4-pin mini Type B connector is easily confused with the 5-pin mini Type B connector. They are not compatible. Only the 5-pin mini Type B connector can be used.
For operation with Microsoft Windows, the Cisco Windows USB console driver must be installed on any PC connected to the console port. With this driver, you can plug and unplug the USB cable into and from the console port without affecting Windows HyperTerminal operations.
Note Only one console port can be active at a time. When a cable is plugged into the USB console port, the RJ-45 port becomes inactive. Conversely, when the USB cable is removed from the USB port, the RJ-45 port becomes active.
You can now remove your console cable and plug it back in again without having to quit the terminal program and restarting it.
USB Console OS Compatibility
The USB console drivers are available for Microsoft Windows (both 32 and 64-bit architectures), Apple Mac OS, and Linux. See the README PDF files in the USB Console Driver.zip package for installation instructions.
To download and configure the Cisco Windows USB console driver, follow these steps.
Step 1 Go to the Cisco Software Center at:
Step 2 Choose Products > Wireless > Wireless LAN Controller > Standalone Controllers > Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controllers .
Step 3 Click USB Console Port Driver Software .
Note The USB Console Port Driver Software is also applicable to the Cisco WiSM2.
Step 5 Save the file to your hard drive.
Step 6 Extract the .zip file and install the driver depending on the operating system you are using.
Note Instructions for installing the USB console port software for Apple Mac OS and Linux are provided in the downloadable zip file.
Step 7 Connect the mini Type B connector to the USB console port on the controller. Connect the Type A connector to a USB port on your PC.
Important Notes for Controllers and Nonmesh Access Points
This section describes important information about controllers and nonmesh lightweight access points.
WPlus License Features Included in Base License
All features included in a Wireless LAN Controller WPlus license are now included in the base license; this change is introduced in release 220.127.116.11. There are no changes to WCS BASE and PLUS licensing.
These WPlus license features are included in the base license:
The licensing change can affect features on your wireless LAN when you upgrade or downgrade software releases, so you should be aware of these guidelines:
- If you have a WPlus license and you upgrade from 6.0.18x to 184.108.40.206, your license file contains both Basic and WPlus license features. You will not see any disruption in feature availability and operation.
- If you have a WPlus license and you downgrade from 22.214.171.124 to 22.214.171.124, 6.0.188 or 6.0.182, the license file in 220.127.116.11 contains both Basic and WPlus license features, so you will not see any disruption in feature availability and operation.
- If you have a base license and you downgrade from 22.214.171.124. 126.96.36.199, 18.104.22.168, 22.214.171.124 or 188.8.131.52, you lose all WPlus features.
Note Some references to the Wireless LAN Controller WPlus licenses remain in WCS and in the controller CLI and GUI in release 22.214.171.124. However, WLC WPlus license features have been included in the Base license, so you can ignore those references.
Additive Licenses Available for Controllers
You can now purchase licenses to support additional access points on Cisco 5500 Series and Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers. The new additive licenses (for 25, 50, or 100 access points) can be upgraded from all license tiers (12, 25, 50, 100, and 250 access points). The additive licenses are supported through both rehosting and RMAs.
One-Time Password (OTP) Support
One Time Passwords (OTPs) are supported on the Wireless Lan Controller (WLC) using TACACS and RADIUS. In this configuration, the controller acts as a transparent passthrough device. The controller forwards all client requests to the TACACS/RADIUS server without inspecting the client behavior. When using OTP, the client must establish a single connection to the controller to function properly. The controller currently does not have any intelligence or checks to correct a client that is trying to establish multiple connections.
RADIUS Called-station-id and Calling-station-id Attributes
In software releases prior to 6.0, the controller sends uppercase alphabetic characters in the MAC address. In software release 6.0 or later, the controller sends lowercase alphabetic characters in the MAC address for the RADIUS called-station-id and calling-station-id attributes. If you enabled these attributes for 802.1X authentication in previous releases and upgrade to software release 6.0, client authentication fails. Therefore, you must change the MAC addresses to lowercase characters on the RADIUS server before upgrading to software release 6.0.
Access Point Groups
You can create up to 50 access point groups for Cisco 2100 Series Controllers and controller network modules and up to 300 access point groups for Cisco 4400 Series Controllers, 500 AP Groups on 5500 Series Controllers, and 192 access point groups for the Cisco WiSM, and the 3750G wireless LAN controller switch.
Using Access Points in Sniffer Mode
You must disable IP-MAC address binding in order to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is joined to a 5500 series controller, a 2100 series controller, or a controller network module running software release 6.0. To disable IP-MAC address binding, enter this command using the controller CLI: config network ip-mac-binding disable .
WLAN 1 must be enabled in order to use an access point in sniffer mode if the access point is joined to a 5500 series controller, a 2100 series controller, or a controller network module running software release 6.0. If WLAN 1 is disabled, the access point cannot send packets.
Inter-Release Controller Mobility
Learn more about inter-release controller mobility compatibility across releases at this URL:
RLDP Limitations
The Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP) is a controller feature that detects the presence of rogue access points that are connected to your wired network. RLDP operates with these limitations:
- RLDP detects rogue access points that are configured for open authentication.
- RLDP detects rogue access points that use a broadcast BSSID (that is, the access point broadcasts its SSID in beacons).
- RLDP detects only rogue access points that are on the same network. In other words, if an access list in the network prevents the sending of RLDP traffic from the rogue access point to the controller, RLDP does not work.
- RLDP does not work on 5-GHz dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channels. However, RLDP works when the managed access point is a monitor mode AP on a DFS channel.
Internal DHCP Server
When clients use the internal DHCP server of the controller, IP addresses are not preserved across reboots. As a result, multiple clients can be assigned with the same IP address. To resolve any IP address conflicts, clients must release their existing IP address and request a new one.
Bootloader Menu
When you plug a controller into an AC power source, the bootup script and power-on self-test run to initialize the system. During this time, you can press Esc to display the bootloader Boot Options Menu. The menu options for the 5500 and Flex 7500 series controllers are different than for other controller platforms.
Bootloader Menu for 5500 Series Controllers:
Bootloader Menu for Other Controller Platforms:
Enter 1 to run the current software, enter 2 to run the previous software, or enter 4 (on a 5500 series controller) or 5 (on another controller platform) to run the current software and set the controller configuration to factory defaults. Do not choose the other options unless directed to do so.
Note See the Installation Guide or Quick Start Guide for your controller for more details on running the bootup script and power-on self-test.
Fragmented Pings
Cisco 5500 series controllers do not support fragmented pings on any interface. Similarly, Cisco 4400 series controllers, the Cisco WiSM, and the Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller Switch do not support fragmented pings on the AP-manager interface.
802.11g Controller and 802.11b Clients
When a controller is configured to allow only 802.11g traffic, 802.11b client devices are able to successfully connect to an access point but cannot pass traffic. When you configure the controller for 802.11g traffic only, you must mark 11g rates as mandatory.
CAPWAP Problems with Firewalls and ACLs
If you have a firewall or Access Control List (ACL) between the controller and its access points that allows LWAPP traffic, before upgrading to software release 5.2 or later and CAPWAP, you should allow CAPWAP traffic from the access points to the controller by opening the following destination ports:
The access points use a random UDP source port to reach these destination ports on the controller. In controller software release 5.2, LWAPP was removed and replaced by CAPWAP, but if you have a new out-of-the-box access point, it could try to use LWAPP to contact the controller before downloading the CAPWAP image from the controller. Once the access point downloads the CAPWAP image from the controller, it uses only CAPWAP to communicate with the controller.
Note After 60 seconds of trying to join a controller with CAPWAP, the access point falls back to using LWAPP. If it cannot find a controller using LWAPP within 60 seconds, it tries again to join a controller using CAPWAP. The access point repeats this cycle of switching from CAPWAP to LWAPP and back again every 60 seconds until it joins a controller.
Note An access point with the LWAPP recovery image (an access point converted from autonomous mode or an out-of-the-box access point) uses only LWAPP to try to join a controller before downloading the CAPWAP image from the controller.
Messages Appearing Upon Controller Bootup
Several messages might flood the message logs when the controller boots up. These messages appear because of a failure to read or delete several different configuration files. These are low-severity messages that can safely be ignored. They do not affect controller functionality. These are some examples:Mar 18 16:05:56.753 osapi_file.c:274 OSAPI-5-FILE_DEL_FAILED: Failed to delete the file : sshpmInitParms.cfg. file removal failed.Mar 18 16:05:56.753 osapi_file.c:274 OSAPI-5-FILE_DEL_FAILED: Failed to delete the file : bcastInitParms.cfg. file removal failed.
Web Authentication Redirects
The controller supports web authentication redirects only to HTTP (HTTP over TCP) servers. It does not support web authentication redirects to HTTPS (HTTP over SSL) servers.
Note For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, Cisco 2100 Series Controllers, and controller network modules, you must configure a preauthentication access control list (ACL) on the WLAN for the external web server and then choose this ACL as the WLAN preauthentication ACL under Security Policies > Web Policy on the WLANs > Edit page.
Crash Files for Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points
The 1250 series access points might contain a bootloader older than version 12.4(10b)JA. Units with old bootloaders do not generate a crash log when a crash occurs. The crash log is disabled so that a crash does not corrupt the flash file system. Units with bootloader versions 12.4(10b)JA or later generate a crash log if the access point is associated to a controller running software release 126.96.36.199 or later.
New 1250 series access points shipped from the factory contain new bootloader images, which fix the flash file system after it is corrupted during a crash (without losing files). This new bootloader automatically sets a new CRASH_LOG environment variable to "yes," which enables a crash log to be generated following a crash but only on controllers running software release 184.108.40.206 or later. Therefore, no user configuration is needed to enable a crash log on new 1250 series access points shipped from the factory.
These examples show the output from the CLI commands (in bold) that you use to check the bootloader version on lightweight and autonomous 1250 series access points:
Commands entered on the controller CLI:
Configuration File Stored in XML
In controller software release 22.214.171.124 and later, the bootup configuration file of the controller is stored in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format rather than in binary format. When you upgrade a controller to 18.104.22.168 or a later software release, the binary configuration file is migrated and converted to XML.
Note You cannot download a binary configuration file onto a controller running software release 188.8.131.52. Also, do not attempt to make changes to the configuration file. If you do so and then download the file to a controller, the controller displays a cyclic redundancy checksum (CRC) error while it is rebooting and returns the configuration parameters to their default values.
Note You cannot modify the configuration files for 2000, 4000, and 4100 series controllers. The ability to modify configuration files is available in controller software release 5.2 or later, and these controllers support only earlier software releases (up to the 4.2 release for 2000 series controllers and up to the 3.2 release for 4000 and 4100 series controllers).
LWAPP Mode Changes
When you upgrade to controller software release 220.127.116.11 or later, the LWAPP mode changes to Layer 3 if it was previously configured for Layer 2.
If you downgrade from controller software release 188.8.131.52, 184.108.40.206, 184.108.40.206, 188.8.131.52, 188.8.131.52, 188.8.131.52, 18.104.22.168, or 184.108.40.206 to 126.96.36.199 or an earlier release, the LWAPP mode changes from Layer 3 to Layer 2. Access points might not join the controller, and you must manually reset the controller to Layer 3 to resolve this issue.
Issues with APs That Transmit Multicast Frames at Highest Configured Basic Rate and Management Frames with Lowest Basic Rates
Access points running recent Cisco IOS versions transmit multicast frames at the highest configured basic rate and management frames at the lowest basic mandatory rates, can cause reliability problems. Access points running LWAPP or autonomous Cisco IOS should transmit multicast and management frames at the lowest configured basic rate. Such behavior is necessary to provide good coverage at the cell's edge, especially for unacknowledged multicast transmissions where multicast wireless transmissions might fail to be received.
Because multicast frames are not retransmitted at the MAC layer, clients at the edge of the cell might fail to receive them successfully. If reliable reception is a goal, multicast frames should be transmitted at a low data rate. If support for high data rate multicast frames is required, it might be useful to shrink the cell size and disable all lower data rates.
Depending on your specific requirements, you can take the following actions:
- If you need to transmit multicast data with the greatest reliability and if there is no need for great multicast bandwidth, then configure a single basic rate, that is low enough to reach the edges of the wireless cells.
- If you need to transmit multicast data at a certain data rate in order to achieve a certain throughput, you can configure that rate as the highest basic rate. You can also set a lower basic rate for coverage of nonmulticast clients.
Disabling Radio Bands
The controller disables the radio bands that are not permitted by the configured country of operation (CSCsi48220).
802.11a Channels 120, 124, and 128 Disabled
802.11a channels 120, 124, and 128 are disabled to achieve compliance with draft EN 301 893 version 1.5.1 on the following -E regulatory domain products: AP1131AG, AP1242AG, and AP1252AG.
Impact of External Antenna Gain on Transmit Power
In controller software release 4.2 or later, external antenna gain is factored into the maximum transmit power of the access point. Therefore, when you upgrade from an earlier software release to 4.2 or later, you might see a decrease in transmit power output.
Note The Transmit Power level can range between –1 dBm to 30 dBm.
Supporting Oversized Access Point Images
Controller software release 4.2 or later enables you to upgrade to an oversized access point image by deleting the recovery image to create sufficient space. This feature affects only access points with 8 MB of flash (the 1100, 1200, and 1310 series access points). All newer access points have a larger flash size than 8 MB.
Note As of August 2007, there are no oversized access point images, but as new features are added, the access point image size will continue to grow.
The recovery image provides a backup image that can be used if an access point power-cycles during an image upgrade. The best way to avoid the need for access point recovery is to prevent an access point from power-cycling during a system upgrade. If a power-cycle occurs during an upgrade to an oversized access point image, you can recover the access point using the TFTP recovery procedure.
To recover the access point using the TFTP recovery procedure, follow these steps:
Step 1 Download the required recovery image from Cisco.com (c1100-rcvk9w8-mx, c1200-rcvk9w8-mx, or c1310-rcvk9w8-mx) and install it in the root directory of your TFTP server.
Step 2 Connect the TFTP server to the same subnet as the target access point and power-cycle the access point. The access point boots from the TFTP image and then joins the controller to download the oversized access point image and complete the upgrade procedure.
Step 3 After the access point has been recovered, you might remove the TFTP server.
Multicast Queue Depth
The multicast queue depth is 512 packets on all controller platforms. However, the following message might appear on 2106 controllers: "Rx Multicast Queue is full on Controller." This message does not appear on 4400 series controllers because the 4400 NPU filters ARP packets while controllers forwarding (multicast or otherwise) and multicast replication is done in the software on the 2106.
This message appears when too many multicast messages are sent to the CPU. In controller software releases prior to 5.1, multicast, CDP, and ARP packets share the same queue. However, in software releases 5.1 and later, these packets are separated into different queues. There are currently no controller commands that can be entered to determine if the multicast receive queue is full. When the queue is full, some packets are randomly discarded.
MAC Filtering for WGB Wired Clients
Controller software release 18.104.22.168 or later enables you to configure a MAC-filtering IP address for a workgroup bridge (WGB) wired client to allow passive WGB wired clients, such as terminal servers or printers with static IP addresses, to be added and remain in the controller's client table while the WGB is associated to a controller in the mobility group. This feature, activated by the config macfilter ipaddress MAC_address IP_address CLI command, can be used with any passive device that does not initiate any traffic but waits for another device to start communication.
This feature enables the controller to learn the IP address of a passive WGB wired client when the WGB sends an IAPP message to the controller that contains only the WGB wired client's MAC address. Upon receiving this message from the WGB, the controller checks the local MAC filter list (or the anchor controller's MAC filter list if the WGB has roamed) for the client's MAC address. If an entry is found and it contains an IP address for the client, the controller adds the client to the controller's client table.
Note Unlike the existing MAC filtering feature for wireless clients, you are not required to enable MAC filtering on the WLAN for WGB wired clients.
Note WGB wired clients that use MAC filtering do not need to obtain an IP address through DHCP to be added to the controller's client table.
Controller software releases 22.214.171.124 and later provide the passive client feature for Cisco 2100, 2500, 5500 Series Controllers and Cisco WiSM2 that enable devices like printers connected to WGB to hear ARP requests, answer and move to run state. That is a dynamic alternative that replaces the MAC filter. The MAC filter feature is required for Cisco 4400 Series Controller and WiSM for passive clients.
CKIP Not Supported with Dynamic WEP
In controller software release 184.108.40.206 or later, CKIP is supported for use only with static WEP. It is not supported for use with dynamic WEP. Therefore, a wireless client that is configured to use CKIP with dynamic WEP is unable to associate to a wireless LAN that is configured for CKIP. We recommend that you use either dynamic WEP without CKIP (which is less secure) or WPA/WPA2 with TKIP or AES (which are more secure).
Setting the Date and Time on the Controller
Cisco Aironet lightweight access points do not connect to the controller if the date and time are not set properly. Set the current date and time on the controller before allowing the access points to connect to it.
Synchronizing the Controller and Location Appliance
For controller software release 4.2 or later, if a location appliance (release 3.1 or later) is installed on your network, the time zone must be set on the controller to ensure proper synchronization between the two systems. Also, we highly recommend that the time be set for networks that do not have location appliances. See Chapter 4 of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 126.96.36.199, for instructions to set the time and date on the controller.
Note The time zone can be different for the controller and the location appliance, but the time zone delta must be configured accordingly, based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
FCC DFS Support on 1130 Series Access Points
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is supported only on 1130 series access points in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines that have a new FCC ID. Access points use DFS to detect radar signals such as military and weather sources and then switch channels to avoid interfering with them. 1130 series access points with FCC DFS support have an FCC ID LDK102054E sticker. 1130 series access points without FCC DFS support have an LDK102054 (no E suffix) sticker. 1130 series access points that are operating in the United States, Canada, or the Philippines; have an FCC ID E sticker; and are running the 188.8.131.52 software release or later can use channels 100 through 140 in the UNII-2 band.
Inaccurate Transmit Power Display
After you change the position of the 802.11a radio antenna for a lightweight 1200 or 1230 series access point, the power setting is not updated in the controller GUI and CLI. Regardless of the user display, the internal data is updated, and the transmit power output is changed accordingly. To see the correct transmit power display values, reboot the access point after changing the antenna's position. (CSCsf02280)
Setting the Retransmit Timeout Value for TACACS+ Servers
We recommend that the retransmit timeout value for TACACS+ authentication, authorization, and accounting servers be increased if you experience repeated reauthentication attempts or the controller falls back to the backup server when the primary server is active and reachable. The default retransmit timeout value is 2 seconds and can be increased to a maximum of 30 seconds.
Configuring Prestandard Power Setting of an Access Point
An access point can be powered by a Cisco prestandard 15-W switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE) by entering this command:
config ap power pre-standard { enable | disable } { all | Cisco_AP }
A Cisco prestandard 15-W switch does not support intelligent power management (IPM) but does have sufficient power for a standard access point. The following Cisco prestandard 15-W switches are available:
- 2600, 2610, 2611, 2621, 2650, 2651
- 2811, 2821, 2851
- 3631-telco, 3620, 3640, 3660
- 3725, 3745
- 3825, 3845
The enable version of this command is required for full functionality when the access point is powered by a Cisco prestandard 15-W switch. It is safe to use if the access point is powered by either an IPM switch or a power injector or if the access point is not using one of the 15-W switches listed above.
You might need this command if your radio operational status is "Down" when you expect it to be "Up." Enter the show msglog command to look for this error message, which indicates a PoE problem:
Controller Functions that Require a Reboot
After you perform these functions on the controller, you must reboot the controller for the changes to take effect:
- Enable or disable link aggregation (LAG)
- Enable or disable long preambles to optimize the operation of SpectraLink NetLink phones on your wireless LAN
- Enable a feature that is dependent on certificates (such as HTTPS and web authentication)
- Install a license, change the license feature set, or change the priority of an AP-count evaluation license on a 5500 series controller
2106 Controller LEDs
The Status LED and AP LED of 2106 controllers do not flash amber when software is being uploaded to the controller or downloaded to an access point, respectively.
Note Some versions of the Cisco 2106 Wireless LAN Controller Quick Start Guide might incorrectly state that these LEDs flash amber during a software upload or download.
Rate-Limiting on the Controller
Rate-limiting is applicable to all traffic destined to the CPU from either direction (wireless or wired). We recommend that you always run the controller with the default config advanced rate enable command in effect in order to rate limit traffic to the controller and protect against denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. You can use the config advanced rate disable command to stop rate-limiting of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo responses for testing purposes. However, we recommend that you reapply the config advanced rate enable command after testing is complete.
Pings Supported to the Management Interface of the Controller
Controller software release 188.8.131.52 or later is designed to support ICMP pings to the management interface either from a wireless client or a wired host. ICMP pings to other interfaces configured on the controller are not supported.
Pinging from a Network Device to a Controller Dynamic Interface
Pinging from a network device to a controller dynamic interface might not work in some configurations. When pinging does operate successfully, the controller places Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) traffic in a low-priority queue, and the reply to ping is by best effort. Pinging does not pose a security threat to the network. The controller rate limits any traffic to the CPU, and flooding the controller is prevented. Clients on the WLAN associated with the interface pass traffic normally.
GLBP Support
The controller software 18.104.22.168 and later releases are compatible with the Gateway Load Balancing Protocol (GLBP).
4400 Series Controllers Do Not Forward Subnet Broadcasts through the Guest Tunnel
As designed, 4400 series controllers do not forward IP subnet broadcasts from the wired network to wireless clients across the EoIP guest tunnel.
Connecting 1100 and 1300 Series Access Points
You must install software release 22.214.171.124 or later on the controller before connecting 1100 and 1300 series access points to the controller.
Preventing Clients from Accessing the Management Network on a Controller
To prevent or block a wired or wireless client from accessing the management network on a controller (from the wireless client dynamic interface or VLAN), the network administrator must ensure that only authorized clients gain access to the management network through proper CPU ACLs, or use a firewall between the client dynamic interface and the management network.
Voice Wireless LAN Configuration
We recommend that aggressive load balancing always be turned off either through the controller GUI or CLI in any wireless network that is supporting voice, regardless of vendor. When aggressive load balancing is turned on, voice clients can hear an audible artifact when roaming, if the handset is refused at its first reassociation attempt.
Enabling/Disabling Band Selection and Client Load Balancing
It is not possible to enable or disable band selection and client load balancing globally through the controller GUI or CLI. You can, however, enable or disable band selection and client load balancing for a particular WLAN. Band selection and client load balancing are enabled globally by default.
Changing the IOS LWAPP Access Point Password
Cisco IOS Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) access points have a default password of Cisco, and the prestage configuration for LWAPP access points is disabled by default. To enable it, you must configure the access point with a new username and password when it joins the controller. Enter this command using the controller CLI to push a new username and password to the access point:
config ap mgmtuser add user-id password password { Cisco_AP | all }
- The Cisco_AP parameter configures the username and password on the specified access point.
- The all parameter configures the username and password on all the access points registered to the controller.
The password pushed from the controller is configured as "enable password" on the access point.
There are some cases where the prestage configuration for LWAPP access points is disabled and the access point displays the following error message when the CLI commands are applied:
For more information, see Upgrading Autonomous Cisco Aironet Access Points to Lightweight Mode at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-0/configuration-guide/b_cg80/b_cg80_chapter_01101010.html
Exclusion List (Blacklist) Client Feature
If a client is not able to connect to an access point, and the security policy for the WLAN and client are correct, the client has probably been disabled. In the controller GUI, you can view the client's status on the Monitor > Summary page under Client Summary. If the client is disabled, click Remove to clear the disabled state for that client. The client automatically comes back and, if necessary, reattempts authentication.
Automatic disabling happens as a result of too many failed authentications. Clients disabled due to failed authorization do not appear on the permanent disable display. This display is only for those MACs that are set as permanently disabled by the administrator.
Client exclusion can happen both statically and dynamically. In a static exclusion, the client is disabled permanently. In dynamic exclusion, the client is excluded until the configured exclusion timeout is reached in the WLAN.
RADIUS Servers and the Management VLAN
If a RADIUS server is on a directly connected subnet (with respect to the controller), then that subnet must be the management VLAN subnet. If you use RADIUS interface override (using the command config wlan radius_server overwrite-interface ), you can connect to the dynamic interface to the server.
TACACS+ and NMS Servers and the Management VLAN
If a TACACS+, or an NMS (like WCS or NCS) server is on a directly connected subnet (with respect to the controller), then that subnet must be the management VLAN subnet.
RADIUS Servers
This product has been tested with CiscoSecure ACS 4.2 and later and works with any RFC-compliant RADIUS server.
Management Usernames and Local Netuser Names
Management usernames and local netuser names must be unique because they are stored in the same database. That is, you cannot assign the same name to a management user and a local netuser.
Using the Backup Image
The controller bootloader stores a copy of the active primary image and the backup image. If the primary image becomes corrupted, you can use the bootloader to boot with the backup image.
With the backup image stored before rebooting, be sure to choose Option 2: Run Backup Image from the boot menu to boot from the backup image. Then, upgrade with a known working image and reboot the controller.
Home Page Retains Web Authentication Login with IE 5.x
Because of a caching problem in the Internet Explorer 5.x browser, the home page retains the web authentication login. To correct this problem, clear the history or upgrade your workstation to Internet Explorer 6.x.
Ad-Hoc Rogue Containment
Client card implementations might mitigate the effectiveness of ad-hoc containment.
Changing the Default Values of SNMP Community Strings
The controller has commonly known default values of "public" and "private" for the read-only and read-write SNMP community strings. Using these standard values presents a security risk. Therefore, We strongly advise that you change these values. See the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 220.127.116.11, for configuration instructions.
Changing the Default Values for SNMP v3 Users
The controller uses a default value of "default" for the username, authentication password, and privacy password for SNMP v3 users. Using these standard values presents a security risk. Therefore, we strongly advise that you change these values. See the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 188.8.131.52, for configuration instructions.
Note SNMP v3 is time sensitive. Ensure that you have configured the correct time and time zone on your controller.
DirectStream Feature Is Not Supported With WGB
The DirectStream feature from the controller does not work for clients behind workgroup bridges and the stream is denied.
No Support for Jumbo Frames
The controller does not support transmitting of jumbo frames. To avoid having the controller transmit CAPWAP packets to the AP that necessitates fragmentation and reassembly, reduce the MTU/MSS on the client side.
Enforce a minimum configured data rate
24Mbps is always enabled even if you select OFDM rates that are less than 24Mbps.
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2100 Series Controllers
This hardware feature is not supported on 2100 series controllers:
- Service port (separate out-of-band management 10/100-Mbps Ethernet interface)
- The Cisco 2100 Series Controllers do not support AP801 and AP802 access points.
These software features are not supported on 2100 series controllers:
Note You can replicate this functionality on a 2100 series controller by creating an open WLAN using an ACL.
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers
These software features are not supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers:
- Support for wired guest access.
- Cisco 2500 Series Controller cannot be configured as an auto anchor controller. However you can configure it as a foreign controller.
- Supports only multicast-multicast mode.
- Bandwidth Contract feature is unsupported.
- Access points in direct connect mode is unsupported
- Service port support
- Apple Talk Bridging
- Wired Guest
Features Not Supported on Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
These software features are not supported on Cisco 5500 Series Controllers:
Note For 5500 series controllers, you are not required to configure an AP-manager interface. The management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default, and the access points can join on this interface.
- Asymmetric mobility tunneling
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- Port mirroring
- Layer 2 access control list (ACL) support
- VPN termination (such as IPsec and L2TP)
- VPN passthrough option
Note You can replicate this functionality on a 5500 series controller by creating an open WLAN using an ACL.
Features Not Supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers
These software features are not supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controllers:
Note For Cisco 7500 Series controllers, it is not necessary to configure an AP-manager interface. The management interface acts like an AP-manager interface by default, and the access points can join on this interface.
- L3 Roaming
- VideoStream
- Client rate limiting for centrally switched clients
- Access points in local mode
Note AP associated with the controller in local mode should be converted to H-REAP mode or Monitor mode.
Some Clients See Only 64 Access Point MAC Addresses (BSSIDs) at a Time
In a crowded RF environment, clients might not be able to detect the desired SSID because of internal table limitations. Sometimes disabling and then enabling the client interface forces a rescan. Your RF environment needs to be controlled. Cisco UWN rogue access point detection and containment can help you to enforce RF policies in your buildings and campuses.
Upgrading External Web Authentication
When upgrading a controller from operating system release 2.0 or 184.108.40.206 to release 22.214.171.124 or later, update the external web authentication configuration as follows:
1. For Cisco 5500 Series Controllers, 2100 Series Controllers, and controller network modules, you must configure a preauthentication access control list (ACL) on the WLAN for the external web server and then choose this ACL as the WLAN preauthentication ACL under Security Policies > Web Policy on the WLANs > Edit page.
2. For Cisco 4400 Series Controllers and the Cisco WiSM, instead of using a preauthentication ACL, the network manager must configure the external web server IP address using this command:
config custom-web ext-webserver add index IP-address
Note IP-address is the address of any web server that performs external web authentication.
3. The network manager must use the new
login_templateshown here as follows:
Note Ensure to format the script to avoid any extra characters or spaces before using the web authentication template.
<meta http-equiv="Pragma" content="no-cache"> <meta HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>Web Authentication</title> <script>alert("You are not configured to authenticate against web portal. No further action is required on your part.");alert("The username specified cannot be used at this time. Perhaps the user is already logged into the system?");<body topmargin="50" marginheight="50" onload="loadAction();"> <form method="post"> <input TYPE="hidden" NAME="buttonClicked" SIZE="16" MAXLENGTH="15" value="0"> <input TYPE="hidden" NAME="redirect_url" SIZE="255" MAXLENGTH="255" VALUE=""> <input TYPE="hidden" NAME="err_flag" SIZE="16" MAXLENGTH="15" value="0"><tr align="center"> <td colspan="2"><font size="10" color="#336699">Web Authentication</font></td></tr><td colspan="2"> User Name <input type="TEXT" name="username" SIZE="25" MAXLENGTH="63" VALUE=""> </td> </tr> <tr align="center" > <td colspan="2"> Password <input type="Password" name="password" SIZE="25" MAXLENGTH="24"> </td> </tr><td colspan="2"><input type="button" name="Submit" value="Submit" class="button" onclick="submitAction();"> </td> </tr> </table> </div>
Switch Port and Controller Port
When the port status on the controller changes, the switch status does not get changed. This is a known issue. For example, when the controller port goes down, the switch port is still in the administrable state. This has been resolved in Cisco 5500 Series Controllers.
Unsupported mac-address Command for Unified and Autonomous Access Points
The unified and autonomous access point do not support the mac-address command for the wireless interfaces. When invoked, the command executes but can cause the access point to fail.
Fast Roaming and Authentication/Key Management for CCKM Clients
CCKM Fast-roaming clients in hybrid REAP mode works only with the following authentication or key management combinations:
CCKM Fast-roaming clients in hybrid REAP mode is not supported with the following authentication or key management combinations:
Errors When Using AAA with an Active RADIUS Fallback
Consider a scenario where you configured the active RADIUS fallback feature using AAA for a controller. When using this feature, the controller sends the accounting request probes without the session ID during a fallback, which might be dropped by the RADIUS Server. The controller cannot send accounting information with the session ID because during the fallback the controller does not have the context of the client. Some RADIUS Servers like ISE might report errors for accounting probes that are sent to ISE. If your Authentication and Accounting servers are the same, ignore the errors that are logged in ISE.
Roaming Clients When Access Points are in Standalone Mode
When access points are in standalone mode, they are not aware the states and status of the clients associated with the access points. For example, consider a scenario where two clients (Client 1 and Client 2) are communicating with each other. Also, assume that both the clients are associated with same access point (say, AP1). Let us also assume that both AP1 and AP2 are in standalone mode. Now, if Client 1 roams to AP2, the packets sent from Client 2 do not reach Client 1.
Using Lightweight Access Points with NAT
You can place a lightweight access point under NAT. On the access point side, you can have any type of NAT configured. However, when you configure the controller, you can have only 1:1 (Static NAT) configured and the external NAT IP address configured on the dynamic AP management interface. This situation is applicable only for Cisco 5500 Series Controllers. NAT cannot be configured on the controller because LAPs cannot respond to controllers if the ports are translated to ports other than 5246 or 5247, which are meant for control and data messages.
Note Select the Enable NAT Address check box and enter the external NAT IP address if you want to be able to deploy your Cisco 5500 Series Controller behind a router or other gateway device that is using one-to-one mapping network address translation (NAT). NAT allows a device, such as a router, to act as an agent between the Internet (public) and a local network (private). In this case, it maps the controller's intranet IP addresses to a corresponding external address. The dynamic AP-manager interface of the controller must be configured with the external NAT IP address so that the controller can send the correct IP address in the Discovery Response.
Note With CAPWAP, a controller behind NAT is not supported with the Cisco 4400 Series, 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, and the WiSM.
Default A-MPDU settings
By default, Aggregated MAC Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU) is enabled for priority level 0, 4 and 5 and the rest are disabled. In releases prior to 6.0 release, only priority 0 was enabled by default. The video performance is enhanced when priorities 4 and 5 are enabled for A-MPDU aggregation.
Important Notes for Controllers and Mesh Access Points
This section describes important information about controllers and mesh access points.
Features Not Supported on Mesh Networks
The following controller features are not supported on mesh networks:
- Multi-country support
- Load-based CAC (mesh networks support only bandwidth-based, or static, CAC)
- High availability (fast heartbeat and primary discovery join timer)
- EAP-FASTv1 and 802.1X authentication
- Access point join priority (mesh access points have a fixed priority)
- Locally significant certificate
- Location-based services
The following sections lists Open Caveats and Resolved Caveats for Cisco controllers and lightweight access points for version 18.104.22.168. For your convenience in locating caveats in the Cisco Bug Toolkit, the caveat titles listed in this section are drawn directly from the Bug Toolkit database. These caveat titles are not intended to be read as complete sentences because the title field length is limited. In the caveat titles, some truncation of wording or punctuation might be necessary to provide the most complete and concise description. The only modifications made to these titles are as follows:
- Commands are in boldface type.
- Product names and acronyms might be standardized.
- Spelling errors and typos might be corrected.
Note If you are a registered cisco.com user, see the Bug Toolkit at the following website:
To become a registered cisco.com user, go to the following website:
Open Caveats
Table 6 lists open caveats in controller software release 220.127.116.11.
RLDP shows disabled in GUI even though enabled from the CLI.
Symptom : Autocontain and autoRLDP commands do not work independently.
Conditions : Using the CLI, if auto contain is enabled for 'rogue on wire' and you try to enable autoRLDP for only monitor mode APs, the autocontain configuration gets disabled. The same issue can be noticed if the commands are tried in the reverse order.
Workaround : Use the GUI to configure autocontain 'rogue on wire' and autoRLDP using only monitor mode APs.
Not able to configure LAG when interface is untagged.
Symptom : Not able to configure LAG when there is an untagged interface.
Conditions : If an untagged interface is present on the controller and is mapped to an interface group when you are enabling the controller, when you try to delete the untagged interface, it is not deleted because it is mapped to an interface group.
Controller does not detect the CCX tag with multicast address 01:0c:cc:00:00:0
Symptom : Tags using CCX formats had to use the CCX multicast address 01:40:96:00:00:03.
Tags using other multicast addresses were interpreted as non-CCX addresses.
Conditions : Tags using the multicast address 01:0C:CC:00:00:00 were interpreted as non CCX tags even though they were using CCX tag format.
Workaround : Configure the tags to use the CCX multicast address 01:40:96:00:00:03.
Tags will be detected as CCX tags.
Further Problem Description : According to the CCX Spec, for a tag to be interpreted as a CCX tag, it has to use the multicast address 01:40:96:00:00:03.
Cisco 5508 Controller removing CPU ACL entry has no effect.
Symptom : Removing an entry from an ACL that is applied on a CPU has no effect: modifications are not applied.
Workaround : Reapplying the ACL on a CPU resolves this issue.
H-REAP Standalone AP does not update controller about the client location.
Symptom : Client entry on the controller is not being updated by the H-REAP AP in standalone mode.
Conditions : Client roams on standalone mode APs which then connect back to the controller in connected mode. Cisco 5508 Controller running 188.8.131.52 release.
AP-manager interface cannot be removed from Web GUI in Cisco 7510 Controller.
Symptom : In the Cisco 7510 Controller, the AP-manager interface cannot be removed from the Web GUI.
Conditions : Only the Cisco 7510 Controller is affected.
Workaround : Remove the AP-manager interface by entering the following command on the controller CLI:
SNMP walk outputs for ifSpeed and ifHighSpeed are inconsistent on Cisco 5508 Controller and WiSM2 running 22.214.171.124.
Symptom : Controller SNMP walk output are inconsistent.
Conditions : Customers noticed an inconsistency when monitoring WiSM2 interface using their own developed monitoring tool system based on our MIBs - SNMP walk.
They report back at 100 Mbps interfaces when the SNMP description show that the interfaces are 1 Gbps. The WiSM2 interface is supposed to be 10 Gbps.
AP Join Stats Filter needs to filter based on Ethernet MAC address, not radios.
Symptom : You cannot search based on the Ethernet MAC address and supporting OEAP users, who have access to only the AP itself, and this is where the MAC address of the Ethernet interface is printed on the bottom of the AP.
Conditions : When APs cannot join, the support technician cannot easily look up the join statistics of the AP.
Cisco 5508 Controller: GARP on management interface forwarded to clients on a different VLAN.
Symptom : Gratuitous ARP requests received on the management interface are forwarded to the AP (CAPWAP-Data) and to the wireless clients even if the WLAN is on a different VLAN.
Conditions : The Cisco 5508 Controller is running 126.96.36.199.
Unable to back up or transfer third-party certificates in a controller.
Further Problem Description : The configuration file does not contain any third-party certificates.
If a third party certificate is needed on the new controller, then the certificate will need to be installed via the normal means of a TFTP transfer of the .pem file and provide the corresponding certificate password.
Symptom : The third-party certificate is missing on a controller.
Conditions : This can occur after transferring a configuration file from a controller that has a third-party certificate installed on a new controller.
Another condition may be if the controller was put back to factory defaults and then the old configuration was transferred back to the controller.
Webauth stops redirecting after some time.
Symptom : On the Cisco 4404 Controller running 188.8.131.52 or 184.108.40.206 releases, users in the webauth SSID are not redirected to the login page after one week or so. This message appears:
Conditions : webauth, Cisco 4404 Controller running 220.127.116.11 or 22.214.171.124.
Workaround : A reboot solves the problem for another week or so.
Controller might fail to transfer or save configuration and eventually crash. No crash log available.
Symptom : The controller might print the following errors when attempting to transfer or back up the configuration, and eventually reload without storing a crash file:
Conditions : WiSM running 22.214.171.124.
DCA 802.11b invalid channel 17 and 21 on certain country code configurations.
Symptom : Configuring certain multiple controller country codes appears to insert invalid channels 17 and 21 on the 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n DCA list.
Conditions : Configure controller multiple country codes where at least one of the following is included as well as a country code not in this list (for example, the U.S.):
WiSM might fail to process incoming packets (for example ARP, ICMP).
Symptom : WiSM might fail to process incoming packets after operating for some time. During this condition, packets can be seen being sent from the controller; however, some incoming packets may not be forwarded due to an NPU wedge condition.
Controller is unresponsive to pings, Web GUI/SSH/Telnet. Console successful.
Conditions : Cisco WiSM or Cisco 4400 Controller running 22.214.171.124 or 188.8.131.52 controller releases.
WiSM crash: sntpReceiveTask mmMipResendTimeoutHandler read_socket
Symptom : Controller crashed and rebooted.
TACACS user login failure on Cisco 5508 Controller running 220.127.116.11.
The debug aaa tacacs enable command on the controller while the TACACS user attempts a login continually shows the following:(Cisco Controller) >*aaaQueueReader: Oct 11 20:14:45.909: TPLUS Transmission Queue Full -- dropping accounting packet
The show traplog command shows the following:*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:16.014: tplus_processAuthRequest: memory alloc failed for tplus message*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:20.779: tplus_processAuthRequest: memory alloc failed for tplus message*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:26.631: tplus_processAuthRequest: memory alloc failed for tplus message
The show msglog command shows the following:*emWeb: Nov 29 09:52:16.335: %EMWEB-1-LOGIN_FAILED: ews_auth.c:2105 Login failed for the user:zzzz. Service-Type is not present or it doesn't allow READ/WRITE permission..*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:28.335: %AAA-3-MEM_ALLOC_FAILED: tplus_db.c:511 Error allocating 4704 bytes on stack for message. Aborting..*emWeb: Nov 29 09:52:28.302: %EMWEB-1-LOGIN_FAILED: ews_auth.c:2105 Login failed for the user:zzzz. Service-Type is not present or it doesn't allow READ/WRITE permission..*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:28.302: %AAA-3-MEM_ALLOC_FAILED: tplus_db.c:511 Error allocating 4704 bytes on stack for message. Aborting..*emWeb: Nov 29 09:52:28.298: %EMWEB-1-LOGIN_FAILED: ews_auth.c:2105 Login failed for the user:zzzz. Service-Type is not present or it doesn't allow READ/WRITE permission.*aaaQueueReader: Nov 29 09:52:28.298: %AAA-3-MEM_ALLOC_FAILED: tplus_db.c:511 Error allocating 4704 bytes on stack for message. Aborting..
Conditions : Cisco 5508 Controller running 18.104.22.168.
Symptom : Slow memory leak is observed on controller doing web authentication. Also, custom Web page changes every 20 minutes. Buffer allocation for 64 pool goes very high in a few days.
Web authentication stops redirecting after some time.
Symptom : The issue is seen on the Cisco 4404 Controller running 220.127.116.11 where users in the webauth SSID are not redirected to the login page after one week or so. This message appears:
Conditions : Webauth on the Cisco 4404 Controller running 7.0.116 or 18.104.22.168 controller software.
Workaround : A reboot solves the problem for another week or so.
Symptom : The Cisco TrustSec SXP feature is not supported.
Conditions : 7.0.x controller software releases.
Resolved Caveats
Table 7 lists caveats resolved in controller software release 18.104.22.168.
WebAuth connections to 3128 dropped when proxy-redir feature is disabled.
Cisco 5500 Series Controller does not send SNMP traps through the dynamic interface.
Cisco 5508 controller does not send port UP trap if it was bound for SNMP manager in LAG.
Controller shows incorrect SNR value for rogue AP; less than 0 in CLI, and greater than 250 in GUI.
Unable to disable MAC filtering on a WLAN that has WPA2, AES and 802.1X configured without web authentication.
H-REAP locally switched clients are unable to access controller through Web GUI SSH.
WLAN with the same SSID and different Layer 2 Security is not allowed in AP group.
Wired client behind WGB cannot connect on a guest anchor setup.
Controller CDP neighbor message shows incorrect duplex settings.
Controller SNMP trap might include incorrect SSID name in cldcClientSsid.
Client entry has a mismatch in control plane and data plane.
Invalid CPU ACL configuration generated on the exported controller configuration.
Incorrect subnet is assigned when Fast SSID change and interface group are used.
Cisco 2504 Controller fails to respond to discover requests with public AP manager IP.
Controller release 220.127.116.11 crashed sshpmReceiveTask with IPsec RADIUS configured.
The config advanced macfiltering skip-radius enable command does not work as expected.
The PMK-Cache on the contro1ler is empty for a client doing CCKM.
Network issues are experienced when an AP-manager interface is created in the same VLAN as the management interface.
SRE configuration download fails, expecting AP-manager configuration.
ACL returned from AAA override fails after the client is activated from sleep state.
OEAP602 does not process DHCP correctly when WMM is disabled on WLAN.
ARP traffic causes MAC flapping on AP1522 Ethernet bridging,
Association request from a client that has a stale entry in controller is dropped.
Mesh: Maps do not honor data rate updates from the controller.
AP 'DOT11-2-RADIO_RX_BUF' crashes upon receipt of WPA packet with length 0.
Unable to Telnet/SSH because of maximum number of connections reached, 0 in use.
Require option to upgrade image from LDPE to non-LDPE image.
For RADIUS server, fallback accounting request is sent with missing AcctSessionId.
WiSM displays the 'Invalid interface name in mscb!!!' message.
Need debug command to see the mobility SCB data for all the entries.
A vulnerability exists in the Cisco IOS Software that may allow a remote application or device to exceed its authorization level when authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) authorization is used. This vulnerability requires that the HTTP or HTTPS server is enabled on the Cisco IOS device.
Products that are not running Cisco IOS Software are not vulnerable.
Cisco has released free software updates that address these vulnerabilities.
The HTTP server may be disabled as a workaround for the vulnerability described in this advisory.
This advisory is available at the following link:
If You Need More Information
If you need information about a specific caveat that does not appear in these release notes, you can use the Cisco Bug Toolkit to find caveats of any severity. Click this URL to browse to the Bug Toolkit:
(If you request a defect that cannot be displayed, the defect number might not exist, the defect might not yet have a customer-visible description, or the defect might be marked Cisco Confidential.)
For the most up-to-date, detailed troubleshooting information, see the Cisco TAC website at
Click Product Support > Wireless. Then choose your product and Troubleshooting to find information on the problem you are experiencing.
Documentation Updates
This section lists updates to user documentation that has not yet been added to either printed or online documents.
Related Documentation
For additional information on the Cisco controllers and lightweight access points, see these documents:
- The quick start guide or installation guide for your particular controller or access point
- Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide
- Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Command Reference
- Cisco Wireless Control System Configuration Guide
You can access these documents from this link:
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see the monthly What's New in Cisco Product Documentation , which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at:
Subscribe to the What's New in Cisco Product Documentation as a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed and set content to be delivered directly to your desktop using a reader application. The RSS feeds are a free service and Cisco currently supports RSS Version 2.0.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks . Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1721R)