Cisco AP Config Snippets (WLC Join, TFTP, IOS)
Work notes for configuring Cisco Wireless APs. Common checks and image load steps.
Check IP and CAPWAP join state
show capwap ip config show capwap client config Common join blockers:
- Bad time/NTP (check controller time or allow time sync on CAPWAP)
- DHCP Option 43 missing (add controller IP via DHCP or statically set below)
- Stale controller list (clear it and set manually)
Set static controller(s):
capwap ap controller ip address <WLC-IP-1> capwap ap controller ip address <WLC-IP-2> # optional capwap ap hostname <AP-NAME> # set a friendly hostname Clear old controller info:
clear capwap private-config Load firmware from TFTP (ROMMON-style)
ap: set IP_ADDR 10.1.128.120 ap: set NETMASK 255.255.255.0 ap: set DEFAULT_ROUTER 10.1.128.1 ap: set TFTP_SERVER 10.1.250.46 ap: set TFTP_FILE ap3g2-k9w8-tar.default ap: tftp_init ap: ether_init ap: flash_init ap: tar -xtract tftp://10.1.250.46/ap3g2-k9w8-tar.default flash: ap: boot Bootloader environment (alternate)
uboot>> setenv ipaddr 10.1.128.120 # AP IP uboot>> setenv serverip 10.1.250.46 # TFTP server (your PC) uboot>> setenv netmask 255.255.255.0 setenv gatewayip 10.1.128.1 uboot>> printenv uboot>> tftpboot 0x80000000 ap3g3-k9w8-tar.default uboot>> bootm 0x80000000 From IOS on the AP
archive download-sw /overwrite /force-reload tftp://10.1.250.46/ap3g3-k9w8-tar.default archive download-sw /overwrite /force-reload tftp://10.1.250.46/AIR-AP1830-K9-8-10-196-0.tar # If you don’t need to force/overwrite: archive download-sw /reload tftp://10.1.250.46/AIR-AP1830-K9-8-10-196-0.tar Convert to Lightweight (CAPWAP) from Autonomous
On autonomous IOS (k9w7), point at the recovery/default image:
archive download-sw /force-reload /overwrite tftp://10.1.250.46/ap3g2-k9w8-tar.default Factory reset / clear config
write erase delete flash:private-multiple-fs reload On some models:
clear capwap private-config reload DHCP Option 43 (Cisco controller) quick ref
Option 43 hex for one WLC IP (example 10.1.250.10):
f1:04:0a:01:fa:0a
Multiple controllers: concatenate f1:<len>:<ip1><ip2>... where <len> is total bytes of IP list. Use a DHCP option 43 calculator if unsure.
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