Field Notice: FN - 70577 - Regulatory Compliance Issue with AP2800/AP3800/AP4800/AP1560/IW6300 - Software Upgrade Recommended

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Updated:June 25, 2020

Document ID:FN70577

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Notice

THIS FIELD NOTICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FIELD NOTICE OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE FIELD NOTICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS FIELD NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

Revision History

Revision	Publish Date	Comments
1.0	25-Jun-20	Initial Release

Products Affected

Affected Product ID	Comments
AIR-AP3802P-P-K9
AIR-AP1562D-Z-K9
AIR-AP3802P-K-K9
AIR-AP1562D-A-K9
AIR-AP1562E-D-K9
AIR-AP3802P-D-K9
AIR-AP3802I-H-K9
AIR-AP1562I-H-K9
AIR-AP2802I-H-K9
AIR-AP4800-N-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-B-K9
AIR-AP1562PS-A-K9
AIR-AP2802E-S-K9
AIR-AP3802E-C-K9
IW-6300H-DC-Z-K9
AIR-AP1562D-B-K9
AIR-AP3802I-F-K9
AIR-AP4800-E-K9
AIR-AP3802E-K-K9
AIR-AP3802E-I-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-D-K9
IW-6300H-DC-F-K9
IW-6300H-AC-R-K9
AIR-AP2802I-B-K9
IW-6300H-DC-I-K9
AIR-AP2802E-H-K9
AIR-AP2802E-C-K9
AIR-AP1562I-A-K9
AIR-AP3802E-H-K9
IW-6300H-DC-S-K9
AIR-AP1562D-C-K9
AIR-AP1562E-Q-K9
AIR-AP1562I-B-K9
AIR-AP4800-B-K9
AIR-AP4800-C-K9
AIR-AP4800-R-K9
IW-6300H-DC-N-K9
AIR-AP1562I-C-K9
AIR-AP1562I-L-K9
AIR-AP2802I-I-K9
AIR-AP3802I-S-K9
AIR-AP4800-G-K9
AIR-AP3802I-E-K9
AIR-AP1562D-S-K9
AIR-AP1562I-R-K9
AIR-AP3802I-D-K9
AIR-AP4800-H-K9
AIR-AP2802I-D-K9
AIR-AP1562E-P-K9
AIR-AP3802E-F-K9
AIR-AP3802E-Z-K9
IW-6300H-AC-Q-K9
IW-6300H-DC-K-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-Z-K9
AIR-AP2802E-Q-K9
AIR-AP2802I-Z-K9
AIR-AP3802E-A-K9
AIR-AP2802E-E-K9
AIR-AP3802I-C-K9
IW-6300H-DC-Q-K9
AIR-AP1562I-K-K9
AIR-AP3802E-E-K9
AIR-AP3802E-T-K9
AIR-AP4800-K-K9
AIR-AP1562E-A-K9
AIR-AP1562I-G-K9
AIR-AP1562D-R-K9
AIR-AP3802E-D-K9
AIR-AP4800-A-K9
IW-6300H-AC-H-K9
AIR-AP1562D-M-K9
AIR-AP3802E-N-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-R-K9
IW-6300H-AC-D-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-T-K9
IW-6300H-AC-M-K9
IW-6300H-AC-L-K9
AIR-AP2802E-I-K9
AIR-AP2802E-N-K9
AIR-AP2802E-A-K9
AIR-AP2802E-B-K9
AIR-AP2802I-E-K9
AIR-AP3802P-C-K9
AIR-AP1562E-G-K9
AIR-AP3802P-A-K9
AIR-AP1562D-L-K9
IW-6300H-AC-B-K9
AIR-AP4800-S-K9
IW-6300H-DC-A-K9
AIR-AP1562E-H-K9
AIR-AP1562E-M-K9
AIR-AP1562I-D-K9
AIR-AP1562I-E-K9
AIR-AP3802I-R-K9
AIR-AP2802I-A-K9
AIR-AP3802E-Q-K9
AIR-AP3802E-S-K9
IW-6300H-DC-R-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-I-K9
AIR-AP2802I-R-K9
AIR-AP3802I-B-K9
AIR-AP1562D-G-K9
AIR-AP1562I-Q-K9
AIR-AP3802I-I-K9
AIR-AP3802P-Z-K9
AIR-AP4800-D-K9
AIR-AP4800-T-K9
AIR-AP2802E-T-K9
IW-6300H-DC-C-K9
AIR-AP1562D-Q-K9
AIR-AP3802I-Z-K9
AIR-AP3802P-B-K9
AIR-AP1562E-E-K9
AIR-AP1562D-N-K9
AIR-AP1562E-S-K9
AIR-AP3802P-Q-K9
AIR-AP1562E-Z-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-A-K9
IW-6300H-AC-E-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-K-K9
IW-6300H-DC-D-K9
IW-6300H-DC-M-K9
IW-6300H-AC-I-K9
AIR-AP3802P-T-K9
AIR-AP2802E-D-K9
AIR-AP1562D-F-K9
AIR-AP1562E-C-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-S-K9
AIR-AP3802I-K-K9
AIR-AP1562E-I-K9
AIR-AP4800-F-K9
IW-6300H-AC-N-K9
AIR-AP1562I-N-K9
AIR-AP1562I-S-K9
IW-6300H-AC-S-K9
AIR-AP3802P-S-K9
AIR-AP4800-I-K9
AIR-AP1562D-I-K9
IW-6300H-AC-K-K9
IW-6300H-AC-F-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-F-K9
AIR-AP2802E-R-K9
AIR-AP2802I-S-K9
AIR-AP3802P-E-K9
AIR-AP2802I-F-K9
AIR-AP1562E-R-K9
IW-6300H-DC-E-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-C-K9
AIR-AP1562E-K-K9
AIR-AP1562I-T-K9
AIR-AP2802I-N-K9
AIR-AP1562D-D-K9
AIR-AP3802P-N-K9
IW-6300H-DC-B-K9
AIR-AP4800-Q-K9
AIR-AP1562I-M-K9
AIR-AP3802I-N-K9
AIR-AP2802E-Z-K9
AIR-AP2802I-Q-K9
AIR-AP3802I-Q-K9
AIR-AP4800-Z-K9
AIR-AP3802I-A-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-M-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-E-K9
AIR-AP2802I-K-K9
IW-6300H-DC-L-K9
AIR-AP2802E-K-K9
AIR-AP2802E-F-K9
AIR-AP1562D-E-K9
AIR-AP1562D-H-K9
AIR-AP3802P-H-K9
AIR-AP1562E-B-K9
AIR-AP1562E-N-K9
AIR-AP1562E-L-K9
AIR-AP1562E-T-K9
AIR-AP3802E-B-K9
IW-6300H-AC-C-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-H-K9
AIR-AP1562I-F-K9
AIR-AP1562E-F-K9
AIR-AP1562I-I-K9
AIR-AP1562PS-B-K9
AIR-AP1562D-K-K9
AIR-AP1562D-T-K9
AIR-AP3802I-T-K9
AIR-AP1562I-Z-K9
AIR-AP1562PS-Q-K9
IW-6300H-DC-H-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-N-K9
AIR-AP3802E-R-K9
IW-6300H-AC-A-K9
IW-6300H-AC-Z-K9
IW-6300H-DC-T-K9
IW-6300H-AC-T-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-Q-K9
IW-6300H-DCW-L-K9
AIR-AP2802I-C-K9
AIR-AP2802I-T-K9
AIR-AP1562PS-Z-K9
C9800-CL-K9
C9800-L-F-K9
C9800-40-K9
L-AIR-CTVM-5-K9
AIR-CT5520-K9
AIR-CT3504-K9
C9800-L-C-K9
C9800-80-K9
AIR-CT8540-K9

Defect Information

Defect ID	Headline
CSCvt47413	IW-6300H/1562/2800/3800/4800 series APs are failing DFS compliance
CSCvt98797	Channel Availability Check (CAC) is skipped after channel change on 2800/3800/4800/1560/IW6300

Problem Description

Access Points (APs) that have installed this software fail to comply with the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) radar detection requirements during normal operation when the devices operate on DFS channels. This is Cisco bug ID CSCvt47413.

Also, an AP that performs a mandatory Channel Availability Check (CAC) for a channel that requires the use of DFS fails to complete the CAC if the Transmit power is changed during the CAC. The AP initiates beaconing immediately. This is Cisco bug ID CSCvt98797.

Customers who operate APs with this software might be operating in violation of regulatory requirements.

Background

APs use radio spectrum that is regulated by governments, which includes regulators such as the US Federal Communications Commission, the European Commission, or individual national authorities. All APs must adhere to the technical conditions imposed by regulators with respect to radio emissions. One mandatory technical requirement is DFS, which requires that APs operate in portions of the 5 GHz band to listen for civil and military radars, and when radar patterns are detected, to stop transmissions and change channels to avoid co-channel operation with these radars. DFS protects these military and civilian radar systems, which includes safety-of-life systems, from harmful interference.

Software updates made available between February and June 2020 have impacted the ability of the specific devices to properly detect these radar events. As a result, APs that use the specific software version as listed in this document are out of compliance with regulatory requirements. All customers, regardless of location, should take the action recommended in this field notice. U.S.-based customers should also review FCC Enforcement Advisory No. 2019-06.

Specifically, these 5 (five) AP Series are affected: AP2800, AP3800, AP4800, AP1560, and IW6300.

If you do not upgrade to the fixed software version, in some jurisdictions you might be exposed to legal liability. You will be exposed if and only if:

You operate affected APs, and
The APs run affected code, and
Your APs operate on DFS channels now or will in the future.

Problem Symptom

There is no customer visible symptom.

Workaround/Solution

Solution

Upgrade to a fixed software release based on the guidelines in this table.

Affected Version	Upgrade to this Version	Comments
AireOS 8.5.161.1 through 8.5.161.3	AireOS 8.5.161.4 or later	AireOS 8.5 MR6 Escalation, available from the Technical Assistance Center (TAC)
AireOS 8.10.112.0	AireOS 8.10.113.0 or later
AireOS 8.10.112.1 through 8.10.112.9	AireOS 8.10.121.5, 8.10.122.0 or later	AireOS 8.10.121.5 is available from the TAC
AireOS 8.10.121.0	AireOS 8.10.122.0 or later
AireOS 8.10.121.1 through 8.10.121.3	AireOS 8.10.121.5 or later	AireOS 8.10 MR2 Escalation, available from theTAC
Cisco IOS XE 17.1.1s	Cisco IOS XE 17.1.1t	For 9800 and EWC-AP
Cisco IOS XE 17.1.1s	Cisco IOS XE 17.1.1s ES	For Embedded Wireless Controller on switches
Cisco IOS XE 17.2.1	Cisco IOS XE 17.2.1a

Immediate Workaround

Configure all vulnerable deployments not to use DFS channels until the software upgrade can be completed.

In Radio Resource Management for 5GHz, edit the Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) list to remove the DFS channels, and
Configure any radios with static channel assignment to use non-DFS channels.

For Cisco products, the DFS channels are in 5250 to 5350 MHz (channels 52-64) and in 5470 to 5725 MHz (channels 100-144).

Note: This is intended to be a practical workaround in order to avoid the potential interference described in this field notice. Upgrade to the fixed software as soon as possible in order to allow you to enable DFS channels after the upgrade is completed.

How To Identify Affected Products

These methods can be used to find the AP Product IDs (PIDs).

CLI

From the AireOS CLI, enter the show ap summary command.
From the AP CLI, enter the show inventory command.
From the Cisco IOS XE CLI, enter the show ap summary command.

GUI

From the AireOS Advanced GUI, choose Wireless > All APs.
From the Mobility Express GUI, choose Monitoring > Access Points. See the Add Model column.
From the Cisco IOS XE GUI, choose Monitoring > Wireless > AP Statistics.

Visual Inspection

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

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