Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 7.4.100.0
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Table of Contents
Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 7.4.100.0
Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
Controller Platforms Not Supported
Software Release Support for Access Points
Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0
Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0 (GUI)
Special Notes for Licensed Data Payload Encryption on Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Downloading and Installing a DTLS License for an LDPE Controller
Upgrading from an LDPE to a Non-LDPE Controller
Interoperability With Other Clients in 7.4.100.0
Features Not Supported on Controller Platforms
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers
Features Not Supported on WiSM2 and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco 8500 Controllers
Features Not Supported on Cisco Wireless Controller on Cisco Services-Ready Engine
Features Not Supported on Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controllers
Features Not Supported on Mesh Networks
FCC Safety Compliance Statement
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 7.4.100.0
First Published: December 2012
These release notes describe what is new in this release, instructions to upgrade to this release, and open and resolved caveats for this release.
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.
Contents
These release notes contain the following sections:
- Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
- What’s New in This Release
- Software Release Support for Access Points
- Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0
- Special Notes for Licensed Data Payload Encryption on Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
- Interoperability With Other Clients in 7.4.100.0
- Features Not Supported on Controller Platforms
- Caveats
- Installation Notes
- Service and Support
Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components
The following components are part of the Cisco UWN Solution and are compatible in this release:
Note For more information on the compatibility of wireless software components across releases, see the Cisco Wireless Solutions Software Compatibility Matrix.
- Cisco IOS Release 15.2(2)JB
- Cisco Prime Infrastructure 1.3
- Mobility Services Engine (MSE) 7.4.100.0 software release and context-aware software
Note Client and tag licenses are required to get 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 7.4.100.0.
- Cisco 3355 Mobility Services Engine, Virtual Appliance
- Cisco 2500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco 5500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco 8500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
- Cisco Virtual Wireless Controllers on Cisco Services-Ready Engine (SRE) or Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Module for Integrated Services Routers G2 (UCS-E)
- Cisco Wireless Controllers for high availability (HA controllers) for 5500 series, WiSM2, Flex 7500 series, and 8500 series controllers
- Cisco Wireless Services Module 2 (WiSM2) for Catalyst 6500 Series switches
- Cisco Aironet 1550 (1552) series outdoor 802.11n mesh access points; Cisco Aironet 1520 (1522, 1524) series outdoor mesh access points
- Cisco 1040, 1130, 1140, 1240, 1250, 1260, 1600, 2600, 3500, 3500p, 3600, Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points, AP801, and AP802
The AP801 and AP802 are integrated access points on the Cisco 800 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs). For more information about the stock-keeping units (SKUs) for the access points and the ISRs, see the following data sheets:
– http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/data_sheet_c78_461543.html
– http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/data_sheet_c78_459542_ps380_Products_Data_Sheet.html
– http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/data_sheet_c78-613481.html
– http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/ps10082/data_sheet_c78_498096.html
– http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/ps10082/data_sheet_c78-682548.html
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps380/data_sheet_c78-519930.html
Note The AP802 is an integrated access point on the Next Generation Cisco 880 Series ISRs.
Note Before you use an AP802 series lightweight access point with controller software release 7.4.100.0, you must upgrade the software in the Next Generation Cisco 880 Series ISRs to Cisco IOS 151-4.M or later releases.
Controller Platforms Not Supported
The following controller platforms are not supported:
- Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controller
- Cisco 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controller
- Cisco Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller
- Cisco Wireless LAN Controller software on Cisco Services-Ready Engine (SRE) running on ISM 300, SM 700, SM 710, SM 900, and SM 910 using native controller software
- Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series/7600 Series Wireless Services Module (WiSM)
- Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Module (NM/NME)
What’s New in This Release
This section provides a brief description of what is new in this release. For more information about instructions on how to configure these features, see the controller configuration guides published in the 7.4 Release category at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/wireless/5500-series-wireless-controllers/products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html
- The Cisco Aironet 1600 Series Access Points are supported. For more information, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/aironet-1600-series/index.html
- Introduced support for the 802.11w standard as defined by the Management Frame Protection (MFP) service. Disassociation, Deauthentication, and Robust Action frames increase Wi-Fi network security by protecting the management frames from being spoofed.
- Increased scale for Cisco 2500 Series Controllers to support 75 access points and 1000 clients.
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless LAN Controllers can now act as guest anchors and up to 15 EoIP tunnels are supported.
- Extended support for link aggregation (LAG) on the Cisco Wireless LAN 2500, Flex 7500, and 8500 Series Controllers. With this feature, you can aggregate multiple links to protect against link failures.
When you enable LAG on a Cisco 2500 Series Controller with which a direct-connect access point is associated, the direct-connect access point dissociates with the controller. When LAG is in enabled state, the direct-connect access points are not supported. For direct-connect access points to be supported, you must disable LAG and reboot the controller.
If LAG is enabled on the Cisco 2500 Series Controller and the controller is downgraded to a non-LAG aware release, the port information is lost and it requires manual recovery.
- Security during client authentication is enhanced by applying both 802.1X and Web Authentication for a WLAN.
- The location identifier for an AP can now be configured up to 254 characters using either the controller GUI or CLI. Previously, it was limited to 32 characters. Only text characters are allowed.
- Aggressive load balancing in FlexConnect is enhanced such that based on the traffic load on the interfaces of APs, the clients are moved over to nearby APs.
- Increased scale for FlexConnect groups to support up to 100 RADIUS servers per group. Previously, a FlexConnect group supported 17 RADIUS servers.
- You can now configure the User Idle Timeout on a per-WLAN basis. This user idle timeout is applicable to all the clients that belong to a WLAN profile. This feature is an enhancement to the existing user idle timeout configuration that is applicable to all WLANs on the controller.
You can also configure a threshold triggered timeout where if a client has not sent a threshold quota of data within the specified user idle timeout, the client is considered to be inactive and is deauthenticated. If the data sent by the client is more than the threshold quota specified within the user idle timeout, the client is considered to be active and the controller refreshes for another timeout period. If the threshold quota is exhausted within the timeout period, the timeout period is refreshed.
Suppose the user idle timeout is specified as 120 seconds and the user idle threshold is specified as 10 megabytes. After a period of 120 seconds, if the client has not sent 10 megabytes of data, the client is considered to be inactive and is deauthenticated. If the client has exhausted 10 megabytes within 120 seconds, the timeout period is refreshed.
– Configure user idle timeout for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan usertimeout timeout-in-seconds wlan-id
– Configure user idle threshold for a WLAN by entering this command:
config wlan user-idle-threshold value-in-bytes wlan-id
- You can configure an access point to work in an 802.11n-only mode for an access point group base. In this mode, the access point broadcasts support for 802.11n speeds. Only 802.11n clients are allowed to associate with the access point.
Configure the 802.11n-only mode by entering this command:
config rf-profile 11n-client-only enable rf-profile-name
For more information, see the Configuring RF Profiles chapter of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller WLAN Configuration Guide, Release 7.4.
- You can configure a network access server identifier (NAS-ID) for each WLAN profile, VLAN interface, or AP group. NAS-ID is a string that is sent to the RADIUS server by the controller through an authentication request to classify users to different groups so that the RADIUS server can send a customized authentication response.
If you configure a NAS-ID for an AP group, this NAS-ID overrides the NAS-ID that is configured for a WLAN profile or the VLAN interface. If you configure a NAS-ID for a WLAN profile, this NAS-ID overrides the NAS-ID that is configured for the VLAN interface.
– Configure a NAS-ID for a WLAN profile by entering this command:
config wlan nasid { nas-id-string | none } wlan-id
– Configure a NAS-ID for a VLAN interface by entering this command:
config interface nasid { nas-id-string | none } interface-name
– Configure a NAS-ID for an AP group by entering this command:
config wlan apgroup nasid { nas-id-string | none } apgroup-name
When the controller communicates with the RADIUS server, the NAS-ID attribute is replaced with the configured NAS-ID in an AP group, a WLAN, or a VLAN interface.
The NAS-ID configured on the controller for an AP group, a WLAN, or a VLAN interface is used for authentication. The configuration of NAS-ID is not propagated across controllers.
- You can configure the controller to analyze the WAN interface utilization of neighboring APs and then load balance the clients across the lightly loaded APs. You can define a load balancing threshold. By defining the threshold, you can measure the WAN interface utilization percentage. For example, a threshold value of 50 triggers load balancing when the controller detects utilization of 50 percent or more on an AP-WAN interface.
– Configure client load balancing by entering this command:
config wlan load-balance mode { client-count | uplink-usage } wlan-id
Note This feature requires the AP to upload its uplink usage statistics to the controller periodically. Check these statistics by entering the show ap stats system Cisco-AP command.
- New SNMP traps are defined for CPU and memory utilization of the AP and controller. The SNMP trap is sent out when the threshold is crossed. You can configure the sampling period and statistics update interval by using SNMP and CLI.
– Configure the sampling interval by entering this command:
config service statistics sampling-interval seconds
– Configure the statistics interval by entering this command:
config service statistics statistics-interval seconds
– See the sampling and service interval statistics by entering this command:
show service statistics interval
- An enhanced hold time is added so that you can soak SNMP traps and resend the traps after a certain threshold is reached. The hold time helps to suppress false traps that are generated. The traps that are supported are for CPU and memory utilization of the AP and controller, The retransmission of the trap occurs until the trap is cleared.
– Configure the hold time after which the SNMP traps are to be resent by entering this command:
config service alarm hold-time seconds
– Configure the retransmission interval of the trap by entering this command:
config service alarm trap retransmit-interval seconds
– Configure debugging of the traps by entering this command:
debug service alarm { enable | disable }
- In the Authentication and Accounting RADIUS packets, the controller sends the Called-Station-ID attribute to the RADIUS server. The following six additional attribute types are added for Called-Station-ID:
Note This is not applicable to 802.1X authentication.
- With DHCP proxy enabled, the controller can add Option 82 to client request before forwarding to DHCP server. The client related information carried by Option 82 can then be used by the DHCP server to provide differential IP assignments. DHCP Option 82 configuration is enhanced to include the following six arguments:
- Rogue containment feature allows detecting and reporting about attacks that involves rogue APs and rogue clients. After detecting the rogue APs and rogue clients, you can take further containment action.
Rogue containment enhancements include rogue rule display and customized classification:
– If a rogue AP or an ad-hoc rogue is classified because of an RSSI rogue rule condition, the RSSI value that caused the trigger is displayed on the controller GUI/CLI. The controller includes the classified RSSI, the classified AP MAC address, and the rule name in the trap. A new trap is generated for each new classification or change of state due to a rogue rule but is rate limited each half hour for all rogue APs or ad-hoc rogues. However, if there is a change of state in containment by the rogue rule, the trap is sent immediately. The classified by, classified at, and classified by rule name are valid for the nondefault classification types, which are Friendly, Malicious, and Custom classifications. For the unclassified types, these fields are not displayed.
See the classified RSSI statistics by entering this command on the controller CLI:
show rogue ap detailed ap-mac-addr
Note For the RSSI condition of the rogue rule, reclassification occurs only if the RSSI change is more than 2 dBm of the configured RSSI value.
– You can now include a customized classification type apart from the present Friendly, Malicious, and Unclassified type. For the custom type, you must specify a severity score and a classification name.
Note Manual classification and classification that is the result of autocontainment or rogue-on-wire overrides the rogue rule. If you have manually changed the class and/or the state of a rogue AP, to apply rogue rules to the AP, you must change it to unclassified and to the alert condition.
– You can specify the state after a rogue has been classified due to a rogue rule. The available states are alert and contain.
– You can also apply rogue rules to ad-hoc rogues except for the client count condition.
– The number of rogue clients that can be stored in the database table of a rogue access point is increased to 256. Previously, only 16 rogue clients per AP could be stored.
- Support for the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is introduced. SFTP is an option in addition to the existing FTP and TFTP options.
SFTP that uses only SSH version 2 is supported.
- On a TACACS+ server, the client authentication is enhanced by introducing two new command sets on the controller. One is the Network_Assistant command set, which provides read-only access and the ability to configure LED state. The other is the Network_Operations command set, which provides read-only access and a limited set of configuration commands.
- Support for the Multicast DNS (mDNS) protocol is introduced. Multicast DNS (mDNS) service discovery provides the ability for wireless clients to access Apple services such as Apple Printer and Apple TV advertised in a different Layer 3 network. mDNS performs DNS queries over IP multicast. mDNS supports zero configuration IP networking. As a standard, mDNS uses multicast IP address 224.0.0.251 as the destination address and 5353 as the UDP destination port.
- Support for Application Visibility and Control (AVC) is introduced. AVC classifies applications using Cisco's Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) techniques with Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) engine and provides application-level visibility and control into Wi-Fi network. After recognizing the applications, the AVC feature allows you to either drop or mark the traffic.
Using AVC, the controller can detect more than 1000 applications. AVC enables you to perform real-time analysis and create policies to reduce network congestion, costly network link usage, and infrastructure upgrades.
- Support for NetFlow protocol is introduced. The NetFlow protocol provides information about network users and applications, peak usage times, and traffic routing. The NetFlow protocol collects IP traffic information from network devices to monitor traffic.
The NetFlow architecture consists of the following components:
– Collector—Entity that collects all the IP traffic information from various network elements.
– Exporter—Network entity that exports the template with the IP traffic information. The controller acts as an exporter.
- Wireless Security & Spectrum Intelligence Module for AP3600 enables enterprises to secure their full wireless spectrum. Provides full spectrum monitor and mitigation for aWIPS, CleanAir, Context Awareness, Rogue Detection, and RRM.
- The 7.3 and older controller software releases do not block DNS traffic for clients in the WebAuth required state even if a preauthentication ACL is configured with an explicit DNS deny rule. This problem creates a potential security issue by allowing DNS traffic to any server. This issue is resolved in this release by ensuring that the DNS traffic is handled based on the existence of any deny rules in the WLAN preauthentication ACL.
– If no preauthentication ACL is configured and applied, all DNS packets are allowed to pass to any server.
– If a preauthentication ACL is configured but a not matching deny rule is configured, all DNS packets are allowed to pass to any server.
– If a preauthentication ACL is configured with a rule to allow DNS traffic to a server and a rule is configured to drop all traffic based on the protocol or IP address, DNS is allowed to the destination on the ACL DNS rules and all other DNS traffic is blocked.
Note This enhancement also applies to FlexConnect centrally-switched WLANs.
After you upgrade to the 7.4 release, networks that were not affected by the existing preauthentication ACLs might not work because the rules are now enforced. That is, networks with clients configured with static DNS servers might not work unless the static server is defined in the preauthentication ACL.
- Enhanced Local Mode (ELM) access points collect the percentage time that is spent dwelling in promiscuous mode. The percentage of the dwelling time that is displayed is a weighted average of a one-second window data with a 1/20 weight on the latest sample.
To see the promiscuous mode dwelling statistics for an ELM access point, enter this command on the controller CLI:
show ap config 802.11 { a | b } ap-name
- If the number of clients associated with or RFID tags on the controller hovers around the configured threshold level, you are prompted with warning messages at an interval of 600 seconds (10 minutes) and an SNMP trap is generated. It is not possible to configure the interval. You can, however, configure the threshold level between 80 percent to 100 percent. The default threshold level is 90 percent.
The following table lists the maximum number of RFID tags that are supported on different controller models:
The following table lists the maximum number of clients that are supported on different controller models:
- Support for the 802.11k standard is introduced. The 802.11k standard allows clients to request neighbor reports that contains information about known neighbor access points that are candidates for a service set transition. The use of the 802.11k neighbor list can limit the need for active and passive scanning.
Note This release contains only a partial implementation of the support for the 802.11k standard.
- The AP1552C, AP1552CU, AP1552E, AP1552EU, and AP1552I models can be ordered with a GPS module as an add-on. The GPS module automatically provides the AP location to the controller and Cisco Prime Infrastructure to accurately display on maps.
- Support is added for Link Local Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and the Power via MDI TLV to negotiate with PoE+ access layer devices. This allows you to connect to PoE+ capable Ethernet ports within your access layer network to power the Cisco Aironet Series Access Points.
This feature is supported in the following access point models: AP3600, AP3500, AP2600, AP1600, AP1552, AP1520, AP1260, AP1250, AP1140, and AP1040.
- In Release 7.3, the bandwidth contract feature was enhanced so that rate limits can be defined on both upstream and downstream traffic. Rate limits could be defined per SSID and/or specified as a maximum rate limit for all clients. These rate limits could be individually configured. This feature was supported on the following APs: AP1140, AP1040, AP3500, AP3600, AP1250, and AP1260. In centrally switched WLANs, the downstream traffic is rate limited by the controller and the upstream is rate limited by the APs. In local switched WLANs, both upstream and downstream are traffic are rate limited by the APs.
Software Release Support for Access Points
Table 3 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.
| Note The Cisco 3600 Access Point was introduced in 7.1.91.0. If your network deployment uses Cisco 3600 Access Points with release 7.1.91.0, we highly recommend that you upgrade to 7.2.103.0 or a later release. |
|||
-A and N: 4.1.190.1 or 5.2 or later1 |
|||
Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0
Guidelines and Limitations
- When H-REAP access points that are associated with a controller that has all the 7.0.x software releases that are prior to 7.0.240.0 upgrade to the 7.4.100.0 release, the access points lose their VLAN support configuration if it was enabled. The VLAN mappings revert to the default values of the VLAN of the associated interface. This issue does not occur if you upgrade from 7.0.240.0 or later 7.0.x release to the 7.4.100.0 release.
- While a client sends an HTTP request, the Controller intercepts it for redirection to login page. If the HTTP request intercepted by Controller is fragmented, the Controller drops the packet as the HTTP request does not contain enough information required for redirection.
- We recommend that you install Wireless LAN Controller Field Upgrade Software for Release 1.7.0.0-FUS, which 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. For more information, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/release/notes/fus_rn_1_7_0_0.html
- If you are using a Cisco 2500 Series controller and you intend to use the Application Visibility and Control (AVC) and NetFlow protocol features, you must install Wireless LAN Controller Field Upgrade Software for Release 1.8.0.0-FUS. This is not required if you are using other controller hardware models. For more information, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/release/notes/fus_1_8_0_0.html
- After you upgrade to the 7.4 release, networks that were not affected by the existing preauthentication ACLs might not work because the rules are now enforced. That is, networks with clients configured with static DNS servers might not work unless the static server is defined in the preauthentication ACL.
- On 7500 controllers if FIPS is enabled, the reduced boot options are displayed only after a bootloader upgrade.
Note Bootloader upgrade is not required if FIPS is disabled.
- 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.
- It is not possible to directly upgrade to the 7.4.100.0 release from a release that is older than 7.0.98.0.
- 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 7.4.100.0. Table 4 shows the upgrade path that you must follow before downloading software release 7.4.100.0.
- When you upgrade the controller to an intermediate software release, you must wait until all of the access points that are associated with the controller are upgraded to the intermediate release before you install the latest controller software. In large networks, it can take some time to download the software on each access point.
- If you upgrade to the controller software release 7.4.100.0 from an earlier release, you must also upgrade to Cisco Prime Infrastructure 1.3 and MSE 7.4.
- You can upgrade to a new release of the controller software or downgrade to an older release even if Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is enabled.
- 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.
- We recommend that you access the controller GUI using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 (or a later release) or Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.11 (or a later release).
- Cisco controllers support standard SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) files. MIBs can be downloaded from the Software Center on Cisco.com.
- The controller 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.
- Ensure that you have a TFTP, FTP, or SFTP server available for the software upgrade. Follow these guidelines when setting up a server:
– Ensure that your TFTP server supports files that are larger than the size of the controller software release 7.4.100.0. Some TFTP servers that support files of this size are tftpd32 and the TFTP server within the Prime Infrastructure. If you attempt to download the 7.4.100.0 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 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.
- 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 differ from the menu options for the 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, enter 4 (on a 5500 series controller), or enter 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 the Quick Start Guide for your controller for more details on running the bootup script and power-on self-test.
- 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.
- 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 a 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 a discovery response. Use this command if APs are on the inside and outside of the NAT gateway; for example, Local Mode and OfficeExtend APs are 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.
- You can configure 802.1p tagging by using the config qos dot1p-tag { bronze | silver | gold | platinum } tag. For the 7.2.103.0 and later releases, if you tag 802.1p packets, the tagging has impact only on wired packets. Wireless packets are impacted only by the maximum priority level set for QoS.
- You can reduce the network downtime using the following options:
– You can predownload the AP image.
– For FlexConnect access points, use the FlexConnect AP upgrade feature to reduce traffic between the controller and the AP (main site and the branch). For more information about the FlexConnect AP upgrade feature, see the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller FlexConnect Configuration Guide.
Note Predownloading a 7.4.100.0 version on a Cisco Aironet 1240 access point is not supported when upgrading from a previous controller release. If predownloading is attempted to a Cisco Aironet 1240 access point, an AP disconnect will occur momentarily.
- 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, the upgrade time should be significantly reduced. The access points must remain powered, and the controller must not be reset during this time.
- If you want to downgrade from the 7.4.100.0 release to a 6.0 or an older 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.
- 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 a feature that is dependent on certificates (such as HTTPS and web authentication)
– Add a new license or modify an existing license
– Increase the priority for a license
– Install vendor device certificate
– Install Web Authentication certificate
Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0 (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.
Step 2 Follow these steps to obtain the 7.4.100.0 controller software:
a. Click this URL to go to the Software Center:
https://software.cisco.com/download/navigator.html
b. Choose Wireless from the center selection window.
c. Click Wireless LAN Controllers.
The following options are available:
– Integrated Controllers and Controller Modules
d. Depending on your controller platform, click one of the above options.
e. Click the controller model number or name. The Download Software page is displayed.
f. 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.
g. Click a software release number.
h. Click the filename ( filename.aes).
j. Read Cisco’s End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.
k. Save the file to your hard drive.
l. Repeat steps a. through k. to download the remaining file.
Step 3 Copy the controller software file ( filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP, FTP, or SFTP 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, we recommend that you disable the 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks as a precautionary measure.
Step 5 Disable any WLANs on the controller.
Step 6 Choose Commands > Download File to open the Download File to Controller page.
Step 7 From the File Type drop-down list, choose Code.
Step 8 From the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose TFTP, FTP, or SFTP.
Step 9 In the IP Address text box, enter the IP address of the TFTP, FTP, or SFTP server.
Step 10 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 correctly 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 11 In the File Path text box, enter the directory path of the software.
Step 12 In the File Name text box, enter the name of the software file ( filename.aes).
Step 13 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 14 Click Download to download the software to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.
Step 15 After the download is complete, click Reboot.
Step 16 If prompted to save your changes, click Save and Reboot.
Step 17 Click OK to confirm your decision to reboot the controller.
Step 19 For Cisco WiSM2 on the Catalyst switch, check the port channel and reenable the port channel if necessary.
Step 20 If you have disabled the 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks in (Optional) Disable the controller 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks., reenable them.
Step 21 To verify that the 7.4.100.0 controller software is installed on your controller, click Monitor on the controller GUI and look at the Software Version field under Controller Summary.
Special Notes for Licensed Data Payload Encryption on
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) is required for all Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point deployments to encrypt data plane traffic between the APs and the controller. You can purchase Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers with either DTLS that is enabled (non-LDPE) or disabled (LDPE). If DTLS is disabled, you must install a DTLS license to enable DTLS encryption. The DTLS license is available for download on Cisco.com.
Important Note for Customers in Russia
If you plan to install a Cisco Wireless LAN Controller in Russia, you must get a Paper PAK, and not download the license from Cisco.com. The DTLS Paper PAK license is for customers who purchase a controller with DTLS that is disabled due to import restrictions but have authorization from local regulators to add DTLS support after the initial purchase. Consult your local government regulations to ensure that DTLS encryption is permitted.
Note Paper PAKs and electronic licenses available are outlined in the respective controller datasheets.
Downloading and Installing a DTLS License for an LDPE Controller
Step 1 Download the Cisco DTLS license.
a. Go to the Cisco Software Center at this URL:
https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Home
b. On the Product License Registration page, choose Get New > IPS, Crypto, Other Licenses.
c. Under Wireless, choose Cisco Wireless Controllers (2500/5500/7500/8500/WiSM2) DTLS License.
d. Complete the remaining steps to generate the license file. The license file information will be sent to you in an e-mail.
Step 2 Copy the license file to your TFTP server.
Step 3 Install the DTLS license. You can install the license either by using the controller web GUI interface or the CLI:
Management > Software Activation > Commands > Action : Install License
license install tftp ://ipaddress /path /extracted-file
After the installation of the DTLS license, reboot the system. Ensure that the DTLS license that is installed is active.
Upgrading from an LDPE to a Non-LDPE Controller
Step 1 Download the non-LDPE software release:
a. Go to the Cisco Software Center at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html?mdfid=282585015&i=rm
b. Choose the controller model from the right selection box.
c. Click Wireless LAN Controller Software.
d. From the left navigation pane, click the software release number for which you want to install the non-LDPE software.
e. Choose the non-LDPE software release: AIR-X-K9-X-X.X.aes
g. Read Cisco’s End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.
h. Save the file to your hard drive.
Step 2 Copy the controller software file ( filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP or FTP server.
Step 3 Upgrade the controller with this version by following the instructions from Copy the controller software file ( filename.aes) to the default directory on your TFTP, FTP, or SFTP server. through To verify that the 7.4.100.0 controller software is installed on your controller, click Monitor on the controller GUI and look at the Software Version field under Controller Summary. detailed in the “Upgrading to Controller Software Release 7.4.100.0” section.
Interoperability With Other Clients in 7.4.100.0
This section describes the interoperability of the version of controller software with other client devices.
Table 5 describes the configuration used for testing the clients.
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 6 lists the client types on which the tests were conducted. The clients included laptops, handheld devices, phones, and printers.
Features Not Supported on Controller Platforms
This section lists the features that are not supported in the following platforms:
- Features Not Supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers
- Features Not Supported on WiSM2 and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
- Features Not Supported on Cisco Flex 7500 Controllers
- Features Not Supported on Cisco 8500 Controllers
- Features Not Supported on Cisco Wireless Controller on Cisco Services-Ready Engine
- Features Not Supported on Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controllers
- Features Not Supported on Mesh Networks
Features Not Supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers
- Wired guest access
- Bandwidth contract
- Service port
- AppleTalk Bridging
- Right to Use licensing
- PMIPv6
- High Availability
- Multicast-to-unicast
Note The features that are not supported on Cisco WiSM2 and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers are also not supported on Cisco 2500 Series Controllers.
Note Directly connected APs are supported only in Local mode.
Features Not Supported on WiSM2 and Cisco 5500 Series Controllers
- 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 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.
Note IPv6 client bridging and Router Advertisement Guard are supported.
- Internal DHCP server
- Access points in the following modes: Local, Rogue Detector, Sniffer, Bridge, and SE-Connect
Note An AP associated with the controller in local mode should be converted to FlexConnect mode or Monitor mode, either manually or by enabling the autoconvert feature. On the Flex 7500 controller CLI, enable the autoconvert feature by entering the config ap autoconvert enable command.
- Mesh
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- Cisco Flex 7500 Series Controller cannot be configured as a guest anchor controller. However, it can be configured as a foreign controller to tunnel guest traffic to a guest anchor controller in a DMZ.
- Multicast
Note FlexConnect local switched multicast traffic is bridged transparently for both wired and wireless on the same VLAN. FlexConnect access points do not limit traffic that is based on IGMP or MLD snooping.
Features Not Supported on Cisco 8500 Controllers
- Cisco 8500 Series Controller cannot be configured as a guest anchor controller. However, it can be configured as a foreign controller to tunnel guest traffic to a guest anchor controller in a DMZ.
- LAG
- TrustSec SXP
- Local authentication (controller acting as authentication server)
- Internal DHCP server
- Wired guest access
Features Not Supported on Cisco Wireless Controller on Cisco Services-Ready Engine
- Wired guest access
- Cisco Wireless Controller on Cisco Services-Ready Engine (SRE) cannot be configured as a guest anchor controller. However, it can be configured as a foreign controller to tunnel guest traffic to a guest anchor controller in a DMZ.
- Bandwidth contract
- Access points in direct connect mode
- Service port support
- AppleTalk Bridging
- LAG
- Application Visibility and Control (AVC)
Features Not Supported on Cisco Virtual Wireless LAN Controllers
- Data DTLS
- Cisco 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Points
- Wireless rate limiting (bandwidth contract)
- Internal DHCP server
- TrustSec SXP
- Access points in local mode
- Mobility/guest anchor
- Multicast
Note FlexConnect local switched multicast traffic is bridged transparently for both wired and wireless on the same VLAN. FlexConnect access points do not limit traffic that is based on IGMP or MLD snooping.
Note Outdoor AP in FlexConnect mode is supported.
Features Not Supported on Mesh Networks
- Multicountry support
- Load-based CAC (mesh networks support only bandwidth-based CAC or static CAC)
- High availability (fast heartbeat and primary discovery join timer)
- AP acting as supplicant with EAP-FASTv1 and 802.1X authentication
- Access point join priority (mesh access points have a fixed priority)
- Location-based services
Caveats
The following sections lists Open Caveats and Resolved Caveats for Cisco controllers and lightweight access points for version 7.4.100.0. For your convenience in locating caveats in Cisco’s 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, view Bug Toolkit on cisco.com at the following website:
https://tools.cisco.com/bugsearch/
To become a registered cisco.com user, go to the following website:
https://tools.cisco.com/IDREG/guestRegistration.do?locale=en_US
Open Caveats
Table 7 lists the open caveats in the 7.4.100.0 controller software release.
Resolved Caveats
Table 8 lists the caveats that are resolved in the 7.4.100.0 controller software release.
Installation Notes
This section contains important information to keep in mind when installing controllers and access points.
Warnings
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
See 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.
Service and Support
Information About Caveats
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:
https://tools.cisco.com/bugsearch/
(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.)
Troubleshooting
For the most up-to-date, detailed troubleshooting information, see the Cisco TAC website at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/index.html
Click Product Support > Wireless. Then choose your product and Troubleshooting to find information on the problem you are experiencing.
Related Documentation
For additional information about 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 LAN Controller System Message Guide
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
For information on obtaining documentation, using the Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST), submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html
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