Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller Software Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE 26.1.x

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Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller Software Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE 26.1.x

AP survey modes

Updated: April 10, 2026

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Outlines AP survey modes, describing their purpose for RF parameter configuration and site surveys, provides login and SSID access details, recommends browser usage, and guides you through enabling survey mode on supported Cisco Catalyst APs.

An AP survey mode is a specialized operational state that

  • enables the AP GUI for configuring RF parameters

  • facilitates site survey investigation at customer sites, and

  • is introduced for Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs and other upcoming AP models.

Additional reference information

  • Accessing the GUI: Enter 'admin' as the default login and 'admin' as the default password to access AP survey mode from the GUI. Both usernames and passwords are case sensitive.

  • SSID broadcast and connection: When the AP is in survey mode, it broadcasts an SSID by default. The default password to connect to this SSID is 'password' (case sensitive).

  • Recommended browser: Use Google Chrome to access the AP GUI in survey mode.

Enable survey mode

Enable survey mode on an AP by running the ap-type site-survey command from the AP CLI.

Restrictions for access points survey mode

  • When survey mode is active, certain GUI features such as WAN, Firewall, and Network Diagnostics are hidden.

  • To restore visibility of hidden features on the AP GUI, switch the AP to CAPWAP mode by running the ap-type capwap command from the AP CLI. In CAPWAP mode, the AP GUI becomes accessible when the OfficeExtend AP field is enabled in the FlexConnect profile page linked to that AP.