What's the path to upgrade a Standalone AP?

Summary

Explain how to upgrade/downgrade Standalone APs

Question

What is the path to upgrade a Standalone AP from early code?

Customer Environment

APs used without a ZoneDirector or FlexMaster management

Root Cause

APs may not ship with latest firmware versions.

Resolution

Topic: What is the path to upgrade a Standalone AP from early code?

APs can upgrade/downgrade between any version, only ZDs have to follow an
upgrade path due to memory structure or internal data architecture changes.

Newer AP standalone code, under Maintenance::Upgrade page, now has a
“Local” method, in addition to FTP, TFTP which allows you to browse to the
file on your PC/laptop.

We are now providing all standalone AP firmware on our Support site. If
you have an older version of firmware that doesn’t have the Local upgrade
method option, you can make an image control file, if you know how they’re
constructed.

What is their construction you ask? As follows…

C:\Users\michael.brado>cd c:\tftp-root\code

c:\TFTP-Root\Code>dir *7982*.*
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is E290-F83B

Directory of c:\TFTP-Root\Code

04/19/2012 07:35 PM         6,762,496 7982_9.4.0.0.103.Bl7
05/21/2012 03:44 PM         6,766,592 7982_9.4.0.0.109.Bl7
05/28/2012 01:54 AM         6,766,592 7982_9.4.0.0.110.Bl7
10/18/2012 11:36 PM         6,778,880 7982_9.4.2.0.29.bl7
10/23/2012 08:23 PM         7,688,192 7982_9.5.0.0.124.Bl7
11/28/2012 10:49 PM         7,753,728 ZF7982_9.6.0.0.19.Bl7
05/30/2012 02:37 PM                58 zf7982_940_cntrl.rcks
               7 File(s)     42,516,538 bytes
               0 Dir(s) 67,645,575,168 bytes free

c:\TFTP-Root\Code>
c:\TFTP-Root\Code>more zf7982_940_cntrl.rcks
[rcks_fw.main]
0.0.0.0
7982_9.4.0.0.110.Bl7
6766592
c:\TFTP-Root\Code>

  I’ve attached an example of ‘zf7980_940_cntrl.rcks’ which is
printed out above. The image control file specifies the Filename
of the AP firmware, and its Byte Count information. We use the
middle digits to match the version and maintenance release, so
‘_940_’ refers to version 9.4.0.x.x, and ‘_943_’ would be used with
a 9.4.3.0.12 image, if you follow the pattern (naming convention).

   With a firmware image and matching image control file in a directory
of your choosing (ie. c:\tftp-root\code), you can use your favorite TFTP
application (ie. TFTPd32), pointed to this code/image control file directory,
with the TFTP option under Maintenance::Upgrade.

http://tftpd32.jounin.net/tftpd32_download.html

   Enter your PC’s IP address for the Firmware Server, with ‘zf7982_940_cntrl.rcks’
image control file, to upgrade manually.

[ image: DOS window, ipconfig output ]
[ image: TFTPd32 window, with Directory and Server IP info ]
[ image: AP Maintenance::Upgrade page with TFTP method, PC IP address, image control filename ]

Follow the upgrade, with a reboot, from Maintenance::Reboot/Reset page, to
complete the manual upgrade procedure.