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Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 5.0.148.0

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Table Of Contents

Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 5.0.148.0

Contents

Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components

Special Notice for Mesh Networks

Controller Requirements

Software Release Information

Finding the Software Release

Upgrading to a New Software Release

Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software Release 5.0.148.0

New Features

Controller Platform Changes

New Controller Features

New Guest Access Features

New Location Features

GUI Enhancements

Access Point Changes

Regulatory Updates

Other Changes

Installation Notes

Warnings

Safety Information

FCC Safety Compliance Statement

Safety Precautions

Installation Instructions

Important Notes

Software Upgrade Might Fail If Certain Characters Used in Previous Configuration

LWAPP Mode Changes

Web Authentication Redirects

TKIP and Cisco 7920 IP Phones

Disabling Radio Bands

40-MHz Channels in the 2.4-GHz Band

Regulatory Changes

Supporting Oversized Access Point Images

Multicast Limitations

Multicast Queue Depth

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 an Access Point's Prestandard Power Setting

Controller Functions that Require a Reboot

2106 Controller LEDs

Rate-Limiting on the Controller

Pings Supported to the Management Interface of the Controller

Pinging from a Network Device to a Controller Dynamic Interface

IPSec Not Supported

4400 Series Controllers Do Not Forward Subnet Broadcasts through Guest Tunnel

Re-enable Broadcast after Upgrading to Release 4.0.206.0

Connecting 1100 and 1300 Series Access Points

Controllers Must Run Release 3.2.116.21 or Later to Support -P Regulatory Domain

Preventing Clients from Accessing the Management Network on a Controller

Voice Wireless LAN Configuration

Changing the IOS LWAPP Access Point Password

Exclusion List (Blacklist) Client Feature

RADIUS Servers and the Management VLAN

RADIUS Servers

Management Usernames and Local Netuser Names

802.1X and Microsoft Wireless Configuration Manager

Using the Backup Image

Home Page Retains Web Authentication Login with IE 5.x

Rogue Location Discovery Protocol (RLDP)

Ad-Hoc Rogue Containment

Changing the Default Values of SNMP Community Strings

Changing the Default Values for SNMP v3 Users

Features Not Supported on 2100 Series Controllers

Some Clients See Only 64 Access Point MAC Addresses (BSSIDs) at a Time

2106 Image Not Supported for 3504 Controllers

Running a 3504 Image on a 2106 Controller

Upgrading External Web Authentication

Caveats

Open Caveats

Resolved Caveats

If You Need More Information

Troubleshooting

Documentation Updates

Omissions

Related Documentation

Obtaining Documentation, Support, and Security Guidelines


Release Notes for Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers and Lightweight Access Points for Release 5.0.148.0

February 13, 2008

These release notes describe open and resolved caveats for software release 5.0.148.0 for Cisco 2100 and 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controllers; Cisco Wireless Services Modules (WiSM); Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Modules; Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller Switches; Cisco 3201 Wireless Mobile Interface Cards (WMICs); and Cisco Aironet 1100, 1130, 1200, 1230AG, 1240, 1250, and 1300 Series Lightweight Access Points, which comprise part of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network (UWN) Solution.

Note Unless otherwise noted, all of the Cisco wireless LAN controllers are hereafter referred to as controllers, and all of the Cisco lightweight access points are hereafter referred to as access points.

Contents

These release notes contain the following sections.

•Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components

•Controller Requirements

•Software Release Information

•New Features

•Installation Notes

•Important Notes

•Caveats

•Troubleshooting

•Documentation Updates

•Related Documentation

•Obtaining Documentation, Support, and Security Guidelines

Cisco Unified Wireless Network Solution Components

The following components are part of the Cisco UWN Solution and are compatible in this release:

•Software release 5.0.148.0 for all Cisco controllers and lightweight access points

•Cisco autonomous to lightweight mode upgrade tool release 3.0

•Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) software release 5.0.55.0

•Cisco WCS Navigator 1.2.55.0

•Location appliance software release 4.0.32.0

•Cisco 2700 Series Location Appliances

•Cisco 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers

•Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controllers

•Cisco Wireless Services Module (WiSM) for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches

•Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module for Cisco Integrated Services Routers

•Catalyst 3750G Wireless LAN Controller Switches

•Cisco 3201 Wireless Mobile Interface Card (WMIC)

•Cisco Aironet 1100, 1130, 1200, 1230AG, 1240, 1250, and 1300 Series Lightweight Access Points

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).

Special Notice for Mesh Networks

Note Do not upgrade to controller software release 5.0.148.0 if you have mesh access points in your network. If your network uses mesh access points, use only mesh-specific releases such as 4.1.191.24M.

Note Cisco WCS software release 5.0.55.0 may be used to manage both mesh and non-mesh controllers (such as controllers running software release 5.0.148.0 and 4.1.191.24M). You do not need different instances of WCS to manage mesh and non-mesh controllers.

Controller Requirements

The controller GUI requires the following operating system and web browser:

•Windows XP SP1 or higher or Windows 2000 SP4 or higher

•Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or higher

Note Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or higher is the only browser supported for accessing the controller GUI and for using web authentication.

Software Release Information

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. As new releases become available for the controllers and their access points, consider upgrading.

Note The Cisco WiSM requires software release SWISMK9-32 or later. The Supervisor 720 12.2(18)SXF2 supports the Cisco WiSM software release 3.2.78.4 or later, and the Supervisor 720 12.2(18)SXF5 (Cisco IOS Software Modularity) supports the Cisco WiSM software release 4.0.155.5 (with Cisco IOS Software Modularity).

Note To use the Cisco WiSM in the Cisco 7609 and 7613 Series Routers, the routers must be running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(18)SXF5 or later.

Note The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module is supported on Cisco 28/37/38xx Series Integrated Services Routers running Cisco IOS Release 12.4(11)T2, 12.4(11)T3, and 12.5.

Note To use the controller in the Catalyst 3750G Wireless LAN Controller Switch, the switch must be running Cisco IOS Release 12.2.25.FZ or 12.2(25)SEE.

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.

Upgrading to a New Software Release

When you upgrade the controller's software, the software on the controller's associated access points 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.

Note When you upgrade the controller to software release 5.0.148.0, the binary configuration file might not migrate correctly. For details, see the "Software Upgrade Might Fail If Certain Characters Used in Previous Configuration" note in the "Important Notes" section.

Caution Do not power down the controller or any access point during this 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 4.0.206.0 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.

Special Rules for Upgrading to Controller Software Release 5.0.148.0

Caution Before upgrading your controller to software release 5.0.148.0, you must comply with the following rules.

•Make sure you have a TFTP server available for the software upgrade. Keep these guidelines in mind when setting up a TFTP server:

–Controller software release 5.0.148.0 is greater than 32 MB; therefore, you must make sure that your TFTP server supports files that are larger than 32 MB. Some TFTP servers that support files of this size are tftpd32 and the TFTP server within the WCS. If you attempt to download the 5.0.148.0 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 service port, the TFTP 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 server can be on the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.

–A third-party TFTP server cannot run on the same computer as the WCS because the WCS built-in TFTP server and the third-party TFTP server require the same communication port.

•You can upgrade or downgrade the controller software only between two releases. To upgrade or downgrade beyond two releases, you must first install an intermediate release. For example, if your controller is running a 4.1 or 4.2 software release, you can upgrade your controller directly to software release 5.0.148.0. If your controller is running a 3.2 or 4.0 release, you must upgrade your controller to an intermediate release prior to upgrading to 5.0.148.0. Table 1 shows the upgrade path that you must follow before downloading software release 5.0.148.0.

Table 1 Upgrade Path to Controller Software Release 5.0.148.0

Current Software Release
Upgrade Path to 5.0.148.0 Software

3.2.78.0 or later 3.2 release

Upgrade to a 4.1 release before upgrading to 5.0.148.0.

4.0.155.5 or later 4.0 release

Upgrade to a 4.1 or 4.2 release before upgrading to 5.0.148.0

4.1.171.0 or later 4.1 release

You can upgrade directly to 5.0.148.0.

4.2.61.0 or later 4.2 release

You can upgrade directly to 5.0.148.0.


Note When you upgrade the controller to an intermediate software release, wait until all of the access points joined to the controller are upgraded to the intermediate release before you install the 5.0.148.0 software. In large networks, it can take some time to download the software on each access point.

•Cisco recommends that you also install the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file on the controller. This file resolves defect CSCsd52483 and is necessary to ensure proper operation of the controller. The ER.aes file can be installed on all controller platforms.

Note Unlike previous ER images, a new bootloader file is not loaded when you install the 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file. This is true for all controllers. The 4.2.112.0 ER.aes file is the last ER file to contain a bootloader. If you want the latest bootloader, install the 4.2.112.0 ER.aes file. If you want to obtain the fix for CSCsd52483, also install the 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file.

Note The ER.aes files 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 (5.0.148.0 ER.aes) ensures that the boot software modifications in all of the previous and current boot software ER.aes files are installed.

Caution If you require a downgrade from one release to another, you may 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.

Follow these steps to upgrade the controller software using the controller GUI.

Step 1 Upload your controller configuration files to a server to back them up.

Note Cisco highly recommends that you back up your controller's configuration files prior to upgrading the controller software. Otherwise, you must manually reconfigure the controller.

Step 2 Disable the controller 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks.

Step 3 Disable any WLANs on the controller.

Step 4 Follow these steps to obtain the 5.0.148.0 controller software and the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file from the Software Center on Cisco.com:

a. Click this URL to go to the Software Center:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-wireless.shtml

b. Click Wireless Software.

c. Click Wireless LAN Controllers.

d. Click Standalone Controllers, Wireless Integrated Routers, or Wireless Integrated Switches.

e. Click the name of a controller.

f. Click Wireless LAN Controller Software.

g. Click a controller software release.

h. Click the filename (filename.aes).

i. Click Download.

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. to k. to download the remaining file (either the 5.0.148.0 controller software or the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file).

Step 5 Copy the controller software file (filename.aes) and the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file to the default directory on your TFTP server.

Step 6 Click Commands > Download File to open the Download File to Controller page.

Step 7 From the File Type drop-down box, choose Code.

Step 8 In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.

Step 9 The default values of 10 retries and 6 seconds for the Maximum Retries and Timeout fields 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 field and the amount of time (in seconds) that the TFTP server attempts to download the software in the Timeout field.

Step 10 In the File Path field, enter the directory path of the software.

Step 11 In the File Name field, enter the name of the software file (filename.aes).

Step 12 Click Download to download the software to the controller. A message appears indicating the status of the download.

Step 13 Repeat Step 6 to Step 12 to install the remaining file (either the 5.0.148.0 controller software or the Cisco Unified Wireless Network Controller Boot Software 5.0.148.0 ER.aes file).

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, re-enable the WLANs.

Step 18 Re-enable your 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks.

Step 19 If desired, reload your latest configuration file to the controller.

Step 20 To verify that the 5.0.148.0 controller software is installed on your controller, click Monitor on the controller GUI and look at the Software Version field under Controller Summary.

New Features

The following new features are available in controller software release 5.0.148.0.

Note Refer to the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 5.0 for details and configuration instructions for each of these features.

Controller Platform Changes

•Without any other service module installed, the Catalyst 6509 switch chassis can support up to seven Cisco WiSMs, the Catalyst 6506 with a Supervisor 720 can support up to four Cisco WiSMs, and any other Catalyst 6500 series switch chassis can support up to six Cisco WiSMs. If one or more service modules are installed, the chassis can support up to a maximum of four service modules (WiSMs included). Redundant supervisors cannot be used with these maximum configurations.

•Without any other service module installed, the Cisco 7609 router chassis can support up to seven Cisco WiSMs, and any other Cisco 7600 series router chassis can support up to six Cisco WiSMs. If one or more service modules are installed, the chassis can support up to a maximum of four service modules (WiSMs included). Redundant supervisors cannot be used with these maximum configurations.

Note The WiSM is supported on Cisco 7600 series routers running only Cisco IOS Release 12.2(18)SXF5 or later.

•The 2000 series controllers are not supported for use with controller software release 5.0.148.0.

New Controller Features

•AutoInstall—When a controller (without a configuration) boots up for the first time, it can use this feature to download a configuration file from a TFTP server automatically. Once the controller is configured by the auto-install (or auto-provisioning) process, it is automatically added to WCS.

•Coverage hole detection—In controller software release 5.0.148.0, if both the number and percentage of failed packets exceed the values configured for Failed Packet Count and Failed Packet Percentage (configurable through the controller CLI) for a 5-second period, the client is considered to be in a pre-alarm condition. The controller uses this information to distinguish between real and false coverage holes and excludes clients with poor roaming logic. A coverage hole is detected if both the number and percentage of failed clients meet or exceed the values entered in the Min Failed Client Count per AP and Coverage Exception Level per AP fields over a 90-second period. The controller determines if the coverage hole can be corrected and, if appropriate, mitigates the coverage hole by increasing the transmit power level for that specific access point.

•Daylight Saving Time—Daylight Saving Time (DST) is now supported on the controller. If you choose a timezone that uses DST when you configure the system date and time, the controller automatically sets its system clock to reflect the time change when DST occurs. To prevent DST from being set, you must manually set the timezone using the controller CLI.

•DTIM per WLAN—In 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n networks, lightweight access points broadcast a beacon at regular intervals, which coincides with the Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM). After the access point broadcasts the beacon, it transmits any buffered broadcast and multicast frames based on the value set for the DTIM period. This feature allows power-saving clients to wake up at the appropriate time if they are expecting broadcast or multicast data.

In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure the DTIM period for the 802.11a/n and 802.11b/g/n radio networks on specific WLANs. In previous software releases, the DTIM period was configured per radio network only, not per WLAN. The benefit of this change is that now you can configure a different DTIM period for each WLAN. For example, you might want to set different DTIM values for voice and data WLANs.

Note The config {802.11a | 802.11b} dtim CLI command has been replaced by this new command: config wlan dtim {802.11a | 802.11b} dtim wlan_id.

Note When you upgrade the controller software to release 5.0.148.0, the DTIM period that was previously configured for a radio network is copied to all of the existing WLANs on the controller.

•High availability—The following features have been implemented on the controller CLI to decrease the time that it takes for access points and their associated clients to move to a backup controller and for wireless service to resume after a controller goes down:

–To reduce the controller failure detection time, you can configure the heartbeat interval (between the controller and access point) with a smaller timeout value.

–The access point maintains a list of backup controllers and periodically sends primary discovery requests to each entry on the list. You can now configure a primary discovery request timer to specify the amount of time that a controller has to respond to the access point's discovery request before the access point assumes that the controller cannot be joined and waits for a discovery response from the next controller in the list.

–In addition to the option of configuring primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers for a specific access point, you can now also configure primary and secondary backup controllers for a specific controller. If the access point's local controller fails, it chooses an available controller from the backup controller list in this order: primary, secondary, tertiary, primary backup, secondary backup.

•High-density networking for 802.11b/g—High-density networking optimizes wireless LAN capacity and improves overall network performance in dense, multi-cell wireless networks. You can manually specify global values for receiver sensitivity threshold, clear channel assessment (CCA) sensitivity threshold, and transmit power values across all Cisco lightweight access points registered to a given controller. In controller software releases 4.2 and 4.1, you can configure these parameters only for 802.11a networks. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure them for both 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks. High-density networking is supported on all Cisco lightweight access points (except the wireless mesh access points) and on notebooks using the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG and Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG clients.

•Hybrid-REAP Groups—Controller software release 5.0.148.0 contains two new hybrid-REAP group features:

–Backup RADIUS server—You can configure the controller to allow a hybrid-REAP access point in standalone mode to perform full 802.1X authentication to a backup RADIUS server. You can configure a primary RADIUS server or both a primary and secondary RADIUS server.

–Local authentication—You can configure the controller to allow a hybrid-REAP access point in standalone mode to perform LEAP or EAP-FAST authentication for up to 20 statically configured users. The controller sends the static list of usernames and passwords to each hybrid-REAP access point when it joins the controller. Each access point in the group authenticates only its own associated clients. This feature is ideal for customers who are migrating from an autonomous access point network to an LWAPP hybrid-REAP access point network and are not interested in maintaining a large user database nor adding another hardware device to replace the RADIUS server functionality available in the autonomous access point.

Note Local authentication can be used in conjunction with the hybrid-REAP backup RADIUS server feature. If a hybrid-REAP group is configured with both a backup RADIUS server and local authentication, the hybrid-REAP access point always attempts to authenticate clients using the primary backup RADIUS server first, followed by the secondary backup RADIUS server (if the primary is not reachable), and finally the hybrid-REAP access point itself (if both the primary and secondary are not reachable).

•IDS signature management—In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure signature IDs to uniquely identify signatures and modify the Signature Frequency, Signature Max Frequency, and Quiet Time parameters to reduce false positives.

•Local EAP timers—Additional timeout and retry parameters have been added for local EAP.

•Mobility multicast messaging—This feature enables the controller to use multicast mode to send Mobile Announce messages to the mobility members. If you do not enable this feature, the controller uses unicast mode to send the Mobile Announce messages.

•RADIUS server fallback—In controller software releases prior to 5.0.148.0, when a primary RADIUS server becomes unresponsive, the controller switches to the secondary RADIUS server and continues to use this server indefinitely, even if the primary server is available. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure the controller to fall back to the primary RADIUS server when it recovers or to a more preferable server.

•Rogue management—Controller software release 5.0.148.0 introduces the following rogue management features:

–Ignoring autonomous access points managed by WCS—In previous releases, the controller regards autonomous access points as rogues even if WCS is managing them. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, the controller can now ignore these access points rather than treating them as rogues. The Rogue AP Ignore-List page shows the MAC addresses of any access points that are configured to be ignored.

–Rogue Location Detection Protocol (RLDP) on monitor mode access point—The controller continuously monitors all nearby access points and automatically discovers and collects information on rogue access points and clients. When the controller discovers a rogue access point, it uses RLDP to determine if the rogue is attached to your network. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure the controller to use RLDP on all access points or only on access points configured for monitor (listen-only) mode. The latter option facilitates automated rogue access point detection in a crowded RF space, allowing monitoring without creating unnecessary interference and without affecting regular data access point functionality. If you configure the controller to use RLDP on all access points, the controller always chooses the monitor access point for RLDP operation if a monitor access point and a local (data) access point are both nearby.

Note RLDP is not supported for use with Cisco autonomous rogue access points.

–Rule-based classification—Controller software release 5.0.148.0 improves the classification and reporting of rogue access points through the use of rogue states and user-defined classification rules that enable rogues to automatically move between states. In previous releases, the controller listed all rogue access points on one page sorted by MAC address or BSSID. Now you can create rules that enable the controller to organize and display rogue access points as Friendly, Malicious, or Unclassified.

•Sending syslog events to multiple servers—In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can enable the controller to log system events to up to three remote syslog servers. The controller sends a copy of each syslog message as it is logged to each syslog server configured on the controller. Being able to send the syslog messages to multiple servers ensures that the messages are not lost due to the temporary unavailability of one syslog server.

•Splash page web redirect—This feature redirects a user to a particular web page after 802.1X authentication has completed successfully. After the redirect, the user has full access to the network. You can specify the redirect page on your RADIUS server. This feature is available only for WLANs that are configured for 802.1X or WPA+WPA2 Layer 2 security.

•Telnet and SSH support—The controller supports the use of Telnet or Secure Shell (SSH) protocols to troubleshoot lightweight access points. Using these protocols makes debugging easier, especially when the access point is unable to connect to the controller. You can configure Telnet and SSH support only through the controller CLI.

•Wireshark sniffer support—The controller enables you to configure an access point as a network "sniffer," which captures and forwards all the packets on a particular channel to a remote machine that runs packet analyzer software. These packets contain information on timestamp, signal strength, packet size, and so on. Sniffers allow you to monitor and record network activity and to detect problems. In previous controller software releases, only the following packet analyzers are supported: Wildpackets Omnipeek and Airopeek and the AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, the Wireshark packet analyzer is also supported.

New Guest Access Features

•Customized web authentication pages—In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can configure the controller to display customized login, login failure, and logout web authentication pages per WLAN or guest LAN. In previous controller software releases, you can configure only customized web login pages.

•LDAP support—In controller software release 5.0.148.0, the controller supports web authentication using LDAP.

New Location Features

•Location Optimized Monitor Mode (LOMM)—To optimize the monitoring and location calculation of RFID tags, you can enable LOMM on up to four channels within the 2.4-GHz band of an 802.11b/g access point radio. This feature allows you to scan only the channels on which tags are usually programmed to operate (such as channels 1, 6, and 11).

•Location presence (S69)—This feature enables a location server to provide a CCXv5 client with its location upon request. Location presence is enabled automatically on CCXv5 clients. The S69 Capability line in the output of the show client detail client_mac CLI command indicates whether a client supports location presence.

GUI Enhancements

•RRM pages—The RRM menu options have been divided among five new controller GUI pages to improve usability.

Access Point Changes

•Cisco Aironet 1000 Series Access Points—The 1000 series access points are not supported for use with controller software release 5.0.148.0 or later.

•Global credentials—In controller software releases prior to 5.0.148.0, you can set the access point enable password only for access points that are currently connected to the controller. In controller software release 5.0.148.0, you can set a global username, password, and enable password that all access points inherit as they join the controller. This includes all access points that are currently joined to the controller and any that join in the future. Also in controller software release 5.0.148.0, after an access point joins the controller, the access point enables console port security, and you are prompted for your username and password whenever you log into the access point's console port. When you log in, you are in non-privileged mode, and you must enter the enable password in order to use the privileged mode.

Note The global credentials feature in controller software release 5.0.148.0 is supported on all access points that have been converted to lightweight mode, except the 1100 series. VxWorks access points are not supported.

Note The following command is no longer valid: config ap username user_id password passwd {all | ap_name}.

Regulatory Updates

•Japan update—The Japanese government is formally permitting wireless LAN use of the frequencies in the W56 band for 802.11a radios. The W56 band includes the following channels, frequencies, and power levels (in dBm):

Channel
Frequency (MHz)
Maximum Power for AIR-LAP1132AG-Q-K9
Maximum Power for AIR-LAP1242AG-Q-K9

100

5500

17

15

104

5520

17

15

108

5540

17

15

112

5560

17

15

116

5580

17

15

120

5600

17

15

124

5620

17

15

128

5640

17

15

132

5660

17

15

136

5680

17

15

140

5700

17

15


All of the channels in the W56 band require dynamic frequency selection (DFS). In Japan, the W56 band is subject to Japan's DFS regulations. Currently, only the new 1130 and 1240 series access point SKUs (with the -Q product code) support this requirement: AIR-LAP1132AG-Q-K9 and AIR-LAP1242AG-Q-K9.

To set up a network consisting of only -P and -Q access points, configure the country code to J2. To set up a network consisting of -P, -Q, and -U access points, configure the country code to J3.

•Additional country support—Country codes have been added for these additional countries supported by the controller: Bahrain (BH), Costa Rica (CR), Dominican Republic (DO), Ecuador (EC), Kazahkstan (KZ), Kuwait (KW), Oman (OM), Pakistan (PK), Paraguay (PY), Puerto Rico (PR), Vietnam (VN).

Note For a complete list of country codes supported per product, refer to http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5679/ps5861/product_data_sheet0900aecd80537b6a_ps6087_Products_Data_Sheet.html.

Other Changes

These additional changes are applicable to controller software release 5.0.148.0:

•You cannot configure the LWAPP mode from the controller configuration wizard, GUI, or CLI. Controller software release 5.0.148.0 supports only Layer 3 LWAPP mode.

•The show msglog CLI command will be discontinued. Please use the show logging command instead.

•The controller leverages actual PHY and Low Layer MAC measurements by the access point and client to better estimate Rx, Tx, and CCA loads.

•New messages appear on the controller CLI when you make a configuration change that requires a reboot. Here is an example: "Please save the configuration and reset the system ("reset system") for the change to take effect."

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.

Warning Only trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to install, replace, or service this equipment.

Warning Do not locate any antenna near overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits, or where it can come into contact with such circuits. When installing antennas, take extreme care not to come in contact with such circuits, as they may cause serious injury or death. For proper installation and grounding of the antenna, refer to national and local codes (e.g. U.S.: NFPA70, National Electrical Code, Article 810, in Canada: Canadian Electrical Code, Section 54).

Warning This product relies on the building's installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that the protective device is rated not greater than: 120 VAC, 15A U.S. (240vac, 10A International)

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.

Warning Read the installation instructions before you connect the system to its power source.

Warning Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect cables during periods of lightning activity.

Warning Do not operate your wireless network near unshielded blasting caps or in an explosive environment unless the device has been modified to be especially qualified for such use.

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.

Warning This unit is intended for installation in restricted areas. A restricted access area can be accessed only through the use of a special tool, lock and key, or other means of security.

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

Each year hundreds of people are killed or injured when attempting to install an antenna. In many of these cases, the victim was aware of the danger of electrocution but did not take adequate steps to avoid the hazard.

For your safety, and to help you achieve a good installation, read and follow these safety precautions. They may 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:

a. Do not use a metal ladder.

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 professionally installed.

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.

Important Notes

This section describes important information about the controllers and access points.

Software Upgrade Might Fail If Certain Characters Used in Previous Configuration

In controller software release 4.2.61.0 and later, the controller's bootup configuration file is stored in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format rather than in binary format. When you upgrade a controller to 4.2.61.0 or a later software release, the binary configuration file is migrated and converted to XML. However, the configuration file does not migrate correctly if it contains any of the following characters as part of a user configuration string: &, <, >, ', ". For example, a WLAN profile named R&D causes an XML parsing error after the second reboot, even though this profile name is valid in 4.1 and previous configurations.

Note You cannot download a binary configuration file onto a controller running software release 5.0.148.0. 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.

LWAPP Mode Changes

When you upgrade to controller software release 5.0.148.0, the LWAPP mode changes to Layer 3 if it was previously configured for Layer 2.

If you downgrade from controller software release 5.0.148.0 to 4.2.61.0 or an earlier release, the LWAPP mode changes from Layer 3 to Layer 2. Access points may not join the controller, and you must manually reset the controller to Layer 3 to resolve this issue.

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.

TKIP and Cisco 7920 IP Phones

When a 7920 phone is associated to a 1250 series access point using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) encryption, the access point might report "TKIP TSC replay detected" and discard the packets transmitted by the phone (CSCsj35039). To work around this issue, perform one of the following:

•Use static or dynamic WEP with 802.1X key management for the 7920 SSID.

•Disable long preambles.

Disabling Radio Bands

The controller disables the radio bands that are not permitted by the configured country of operation (CSCsi48220).

40-MHz Channels in the 2.4-GHz Band

Cisco recommends that you do not configure 40-MHz channels in the 2.4-GHz radio band because severe co-channel interference is likely to occur.

Regulatory Changes

These regulatory changes apply to the following countries for controller software 4.2.61.0 and later:

•Argentina—802.11a support is removed

•Brazil—802.11a support is removed

•Canada—802.11a -N support is removed

•Philippines—802.11a -N support is removed

•Turkey—For 802.11a, -R is replaced by -I

Access points can no longer join the controller if you attempt to use the restricted 802.11 bands in these countries. For a complete list of the current regulatory rules, refer to the Wireless LAN Compliance Status document at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/application/pdf/en/us/guest/products/ps5861/c1650/cdccont_0900aecd80537b6a.pdf

Supporting Oversized Access Point Images

Controller software release 4.2 or later allows you to upgrade to an oversized access point image by automatically 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.

Follow these steps to perform the TFTP recovery procedure.

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 may remove the TFTP server.

Multicast Limitations

Multicast applications have known performance limitations on the 2100 series controllers and the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Network Module for Cisco Integrated Services Routers. Cisco is working to address these limitations in a future production code release. In the meantime, Cisco recommends that you use the 4400 series or WiSM controllers for multicast intensive applications.

Note Multicast is not supported on access points that are connected directly to the local port of a 2100 series controller.

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 all forwarding (multicast or otherwise) and multicast replication are done in the software on the 2106.

MAC Filtering for WGB Wired Clients

Controller software release 4.1.178.0 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 allows 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 using MAC filtering do not need to obtain an IP address through DHCP to be added to the controller's client table.

Note For static devices behind the WGB, additional configuration may be needed. If the device does not send any packets, the WGB does not learn the MAC address. Therefore, you need to configure a static entry in the forwarding table as follows: bridge 1 address xxxx.xxxx.xxxx forward FastEthernet0.

CKIP Not Supported with Dynamic WEP

In controller software release 4.1.185.0 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. Cisco recommends 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 4400 series 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, Cisco highly recommends that the time be set for networks that do not have location appliances. Refer to Chapter 4 of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 5.0 for instructions for setting 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 4.1.171.0 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

Cisco recommends 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 an Access Point's Prestandard Power Setting

An access point can be powered by a Cisco prestandard 15-watt switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE) by entering this command:

config ap power pre-standard {enable | disable} {all | Cisco_AP}

A Cisco prestandard 15-watt switch does not support intelligent power management (IPM) but does have sufficient power for a standard access point. The following Cisco prestandard 15-watt switches are available:

•AIR-WLC2106-K9

•WS-C3550, WS-C3560, WS-C3750

•C1880

•2600, 2610, 2611, 2621, 2650, 2651

•2610XM, 2611XM, 2621XM, 2650XM, 2651XM, 2691

•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-watt 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-watt 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: 

Apr 13 09:08:24.986 spam_lrad.c:2262 LWAPP-3-MSGTAG041: AP 00:14:f1:af:f3:40 is unable to 
verify sufficient in-line power. Radio slot 0 disabled.

Controller Functions that Require a Reboot

After you perform these functions on the controller, you must reboot the controller in order for them to take effect:

•Switch between Layer 2 and Layer 3 LWAPP mode

•Enable or disable link aggregation (LAG)

•Enable a feature that is dependent on certificates (such as HTTPS and web authentication)

•Enable or disable the mobility protocol port using this CLI command:

config mobility secure-mode {enable | disable}

2106 Controller LEDs

The 2106 controller's Status LED and AP LED 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). Cisco recommends 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, Cisco recommends 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 4.1.185.0 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 may 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 on 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.

IPSec Not Supported

Software release 5.0.148.0 does not allow you to choose IPSec as a Layer 3 security option. None and VPN Passthrough are the only available options. If you upgrade to this release from a previous release that supported IPSec as a Layer 3 security option, any WLANs that are configured for this feature become disabled. If you want to configure IPSec, you must use a version of controller software prior to 4.0.

4400 Series Controllers Do Not Forward Subnet Broadcasts through 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.

Re-enable Broadcast after Upgrading to Release 4.0.206.0

In software releases 4.0.179.0 and earlier, broadcast and multicast forwarding were both controlled with a single global flag that enabled multicast. Beginning with software release 4.0.206.0, these functions were broken into separate configuration flags: one that controls broadcast and one that controls non-broadcast multicast. If you have multicast enabled in software releases 4.0.179.0 and earlier, the broadcast flag is left disabled after upgrading to software release 4.0.206.0. As a result, some applications that rely on broadcast do not work after the upgrade.

After you upgrade to software release 4.0.206.0, use this CLI command to re-enable broadcast:

config network broadcast enable

When re-enabled, broadcast uses the multicast mode configured on the controller.

Connecting 1100 and 1300 Series Access Points

You must install software release 4.0.179.8 or later on the controller before connecting 1100 and 1300 series access points to the controller.

Controllers Must Run Release 3.2.116.21 or Later to Support -P Regulatory Domain

To support access points configured for use in Japan, you must upgrade the controller software to release 3.2.116.21 or later. Earlier releases do not support access points configured for use in Japan (regulatory domain -P).

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 should ensure that there is no route through which to reach the controller from the dynamic interface or use a firewall between the client dynamic interface and the management network.

Voice Wireless LAN Configuration

Cisco recommends 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, and the handset is refused at its first reassociation attempt.

Changing the IOS LWAPP Access Point Password

Cisco IOS Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) access points have a default password of Cisco, and the pre-stage 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 username 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 pre-stage configuration for LWAPP access points is disabled and the access point displays the following error message when the CLI commands are applied:

"ERROR!!! Command is disabled."

For more information, refer to Upgrading Autonomous Cisco Aironet Access Points to Lightweight Mode.

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.

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.

RADIUS Servers

This product has been tested with CiscoSecure ACS 3.2 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.

802.1X and Microsoft Wireless Configuration Manager

Clients using the Microsoft Wireless Configuration Manager and 802.1X must use WLANs configured for 40- or 104-bit key length. Configuring for 128-bit key length results in clients that can associate but not authenticate.

Using the Backup Image

The controller bootloader (ppcboot) 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 4: Change Active Boot Image from the boot menu to set the backup image as the active boot image. Otherwise, when the controller resets, it again boots off the corrupted primary image.

After the controller boots, the active boot image can be changed to the backup image using the config boot backup command.

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.