Recommended AireOS Wireless LAN Controller Releases

Introduction

This document helps customers to find the most reliable AireOS Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) software available. Cisco recommends AireOS builds from each train of released WLC software. These recommendations may be updated on a weekly basis.

Escalation Builds/Maintenance Interims

In some cases, the recommended release might be an escalation or maintenance interim/beta build. Such releases are not available on CCO (Cisco.com), but have important bug fixes (beyond what is available in CCO code), and will be operational in production at customer sites for several weeks.

Note that, in some cases, the beta/escalation/interim build will contain support for unreleased features and/or hardware.  Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) does not support unreleased features or hardware - until official release, such support will come from the Business Unit (BU).

For released features and platforms, these builds are fully supported by TAC and the BU.

In order to request a TAC recommended escalation/maintenance interim build, open a Cisco TAC case on your Wireless LAN Controller contract.

Recommended AireOS Builds

AireOS 8.10

Cisco recommends AireOS 8.10.171.0 for all deployments with 802.11ac/802.11ax access points and 8540/5520/3504/vWLC controllers.  8.10.171.0 has fixes for the following widely encountered bugs:

• CSCwa30802 stuck transmit queue on 2800/3800/4800/1562/IW6300 triggered by MU-MIMO load 
• CSCvz16800 AireOS can't receive M2 / ID-RESPONSE from MAC addresses with 0x888e in the middle two bytes
• CSCvs77557 Cisco Aironet 3802 AP is not able to acknowledge EAP frames (EAP-TLS) 
• CSCvx98176 Access point with 17.6 image cannot join AireOS controller 
• CSCwa43249Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Management Interface Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

AireOS 8.9

AireOS 8.9.100.0 and 8.9.111.0 are deferred.  The 802.11ax APs require 8.9 or above; TAC recommends the latest available 8.10 release for deployments with these APs.

AireOS 8.8

TAC supports AireOS 8.8.130.0, which is the last 8.8 release - see the End of Life bulletin.

AireOS 8.7

AireOS 8.7.106.0 is a short-lived release with no maintenance planned - see the End of Life bulletin.  Customers who require new features that are unavailable in 8.5 should run 8.10.

AireOS 8.6

AireOS 8.6.101.0 is a short-lived release with no maintenance planned, and is deferred - see the End of Life bulletin.  Customers who require new features that are unavailable in 8.5 should run 8.10.

AireOS 8.5

AireOS 8.5 is End of Life; Cisco will release no more fixes for it.  See the Product Bulletin.  It's the last train for the following platforms: AP1600, AP2600, AP3500, AP3600, AP1552 (128MB version), AP802, WLC2504, WLC5508, WLC7510, WLC8510, WiSM2.  AireOS 8.5 has two branches:

8.5 Mainline

The 8.5 Mainline branch supports 5508/8510/5520/8540/3504/2504/7510/WiSM2/vWLC controllers.  It supports intercontroller mobility (IRCM) between AireOS and old "New Mobility" ("Converged Access") controllers (5760/3850/3650.)  It does not support IRCM with 9800 controllers.  For 8.5 Mainline deployments, TAC recommends 8.5.171.0 or 8.5MR8 escalation (8.5.182.2, available now from TAC.)

• Note: Access points with 17.6.1 or above loaded will be unable to join any controller running any AireOS released prior to July 2021.  For 8.5 Mainline, this is fixed in 8.5.182.0.  For more details, see CSCvx98176 .
• Note: However, TAC does not recommend running 8.5.182.0 in production, in any deployment where the WLC has mobility peers, due to CSCvz84912 , which can cause frequent unexpected  reloads.  Customers who need fixes that are in 8.5.182.0 should reach out to TAC for 8.5.182.2.

8.5 IRCM

The 8.5 IRCM branch supports only 5508/8510/5520/8540/3504 controllers.  It supports IRCM between AireOS and 9800 controllers; it does not support IRCM with old "New Mobility" controllers.  For 8.5 IRCM deployments, TAC recommends 8.5.182.104; earlier 8.5 IRCM releases were 8.5.176.2, 8.5.164.0 and 8.5.164.216, and 8.5.176.0.

• Note: Access points with 17.6.1 or above loaded will be unable to join any controller running any AireOS released prior to July 2021.  For 8.5 IRCM, this is fixed in 8.5.176.2/8.5.182.104.  For more details, see CSCvx98176.

Mobility Express

For Mobility Express deployments, TAC recommends using the latest 8.10 release.

General AireOS Release Recommendations

For general AireOS Release Recommendations, see:

• Guidelines for Cisco Wireless Software Release Migration Bulletin
• Software Research

Note for CIMC Software on 5520s and 8540s

5520 and 8540 controllers shoud have CIMC 3.0(4r) or 4.0(2n) installed

• If CIMC 2.x or 3.x is installed, upgrade to CMC 3.0(4r)
• If CIMC 4.0x is installed, upgrade to CIMC 4.0(2n)

See the CIMC Utility Upgrade section of the 8.10.142.0 release notes for more details.

Note for Software Defined Access (SDA)

Always refer to the SDA Compatibility Matrix for code combination recommendations that work best for SDA. It lists specific combinations of code on Cisco DNA Center, the Identity Service Engine (ISE), switches, routers and Wireless LAN Controller codes that have been tested by the SDA Solution Test team at Cisco.

Related Information

• For wireless controller on IOS-XE, see Recommended Cisco IOS XE Releases for Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers
• Use the TAC Recommended AireOS discussion thread in Cisco Support Community
• Technical Support & Documentation - Cisco Systems
• Cisco Wireless Solutions Software Compatibility Matrix for information on which releases support which hardware platforms