Recommended AireOS Wireless LAN Controller Releases

Notice

As of Dec. 5, 2022, lightweight IOS access points are subject to being stuck in a downloading loop when upgrading or downgrading software.  See:

• Field Notice: FN - 72524 - During Software Upgrade/Downgrade, Cisco IOS APs Might Remain in Downloading State

• IOS AP Image Download Fails Due to Expired Image Signing Certificate Post December 4th, 2022 (CSCwd80290 )

before upgrading/downgrading.

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 8.10.183.0 for deployments with 802.11ac/802.11ax access points (APs) and 8540/5520/3504/vWLC controllers.  8.10.181.0 or above is required for support certain C9105/9120/9130 units manufactured starting September 2022 - see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9120axi-access-point/218081-c9105-c9120-c9130-access-points-manufact.html .  8.10.181.0 must be avoided, in any deployment with 2800/3800/4800/1562/6300 series APs, if the path MTU between the WLC and the APs is less than 1500 bytes; see CSCwd37092.  Deployments with IOS APs should not upgrade to any 8.10 release prior to 8.10.183.0 due to Field Notice: FN - 72524 - During Software Upgrade/Downgrade, Cisco IOS APs Might Remain in Downloading - see IOS AP Image Download Fails Due to Expired Image Signing Certificate Post December 4th, 2022 (CSCwd80290 )

AireOS 8.9, 8.8, 8.7, 8.6

AireOS 8.9, 8.8, 8.7 and 8.6 are end of life, and are susceptible to Field Notice: FN - 72524; , which prevents IOS APs from downloading software that was released prior to December 2022.  Customers should upgrade to latest 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 8.5.182.7 (hidden post).

• 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 and above.  For more details, see CSCvx98176 .
• Note: However, TAC does not recommend running 8.5.182.0 in production, due to:
  • CSCvz84912, which can cause frequent unexpected reloads, in any deployment where the WLC has mobility peers
    
  • Field Notice: FN - 72524 (CSCwd80290), which prevents IOS APs from downloading software
• The above issues are fixed in 8.5.182.7.

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 8.5.182.105 (hidden post), which fixes the following:

• 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 more details, see CSCvx98176.
• Note: IOS APs may be be unable to download any software that was released prior to December 2022. See Field Notice: FN - 72524 (CSCwd80290).

Mobility Express

For Mobility Express deployments, TAC recommends using the latest 8.10 release, 8.10.181.0.  Mobility Express deployments are not susceptible to the CSCwd37092 regression, and have no need for 8.10MR8 Escalation code.

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