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How to recover AP from IOS-failure?

When trying to convert an 1142 AP from LAP to Autonomous AP, I did a mistake. I copied the new IOS (.tar) with the ‘copy’-command. However, I should’ve used the ‘archive /xtract’-command. When I reloaded, the AP presented me with this;

using  eeprom values

WRDTR,CLKTR: 0x87000800 0x40000000 
RQDC ,RFDC : 0x80000037 0x0000020c 

using ???? ddr static values from serial eeprom
ddr init done

Running Normal Memtest...
Passed.
IOS Bootloader - Starting system.
FLASH CHIP:  Numonyx P33
Checking for Over Erased blocks
...........................
Xmodem file system is available.

DDR values used from system serial eeprom.
WRDTR,CLKTR: 0x87000800, 0x40000000
RQDC, RFDC : 0x80000037, 0x0000020c

PCIE0: link is up.
PCIE0: VC0 is active
PCIE1: link is up.
PCIE1: VC0 is active
PCIEx: initialization done
flashfs[0]: 4 files, 1 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 32385024
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 5760512
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 26624512
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 19 seconds.
Reading cookie from system serial eeprom...Done
Base Ethernet MAC address: 12:34:56:78:ab:cd
Ethernet speed is 100 Mb - FULL duplex
Loading "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar"...flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar: magic number mismatch: bad mzip file

Error loading "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar"

Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
Boot process failed...

The system is unable to boot automatically.  The BOOT
environment variable needs to be set to a bootable
image.

C1140 Boot Loader (C1140-BOOT-M) Version 12.4(23c)JA3, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Compiled Tue 18-Oct-11 14:51 by prod_rel_team

ap: 

So. No IOS. What to do? Do I really have to use a slow xmodem-transfer to recover this AP? I thought I did, but there is a way to avoid it. Make sure the AP has network-connectivity to an TFTP-server (in my case, 10.10.10.10). Then issue the following commands;

ap: set IP_ADDR 10.10.10.20

ap: set NETMASK 255.255.255.0

ap: set DEFAULT_ROUTER 10.10.10.1

ap: tftp_init

Then we delete the current IOS (.tar). We are now ready to copy the new IOS (and properly this time). Issue the following command;

ap: delete flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar
Are you sure you want to delete "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar" (y/n)?y
File "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar" deleted

ap: tar -xtract tftp://10.10.10.10/c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar flash:
<long list of files extracted>

Then we boot the newly extracted IOS;

ap: boot
Loading "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar"...flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar: no such file or directory

Error loading "flash:c1140-k9w7-tar.124-25d.JA1.tar"

Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
Loading "flash:/c1140-k9w7-mx.124-25d.JA1/c1140-k9w7-mx.124-25d.JA1"...############

File "flash:/c1140-k9w7-mx.124-25d.JA1/c1140-k9w7-mx.124-25d.JA1" uncompressed and installed, entry point: 0x4000
executing...

Success!

11 Comments

  1. marcelo marcelo

    Excelente, funciona perfectamente

  2. I have a Cisco 1131 AG Access point and I cant seem to downgrade it from LWAPP to Autonomus.

    Can anybody help?

    Thanks in advance
    Cristian
    http://www.cisco-shop.eu

  3. So many thanks, this article is very very helpful.
    Great.

  4. Jose Jose

    I When I try to new extract tar file I get a permission denied response.
    I have already deleted the k9w8 LAP file but I can’t load k9w7 image.

    • jocke jocke

      Permission denied on the flash, or permission denied on the tftp-server?

      • Byron Byron

        tftp_init will get you past this error. if you haven’t found it already.

  5. fahad aziz fahad aziz

    Excellent man.. It works.

  6. Michal Michal

    Hello,

    Nice one! On Cisco AP 1702 was necessary to type one more line to CLI:

    ap: set BOOT flash:/ap3g2-k9w7-mx.153-3.JD/ap3g2-k9w7-mx.153-3.JD
    ap: boot

    Without this line the AP went back to AP: mode due to Access Deny on flash.

    Hope it helps..

    • tamil tamil

      hi,

      we are using CIsco access point ap 1252 model,(air-lap1252ag-a-k9)

      by mistake the ios file deleted from ap( ii was working lightweight mode).

      can you help me how to make it ???

  7. Frank P Cerniglia Frank P Cerniglia

    I get this when try to do the above on a 1142 AP.

    ap: boot
    Loading “flash:/ c1140-k9w7-tar.153-3.JD17.tar”…flash:/ c1140-k9w7-tar.153-3.JD17.tar: no such file or directory

    Error loading “flash:/ c1140-k9w7-tar.153-3.JD17.tar”

    Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process.
    Loading “flash:/c1140-rcvk9w8-mx/c1140-rcvk9w8-mx”…###############################################################################################################################################################################################

    lash:/c1140-rcvk9w8-mx/c1140-rcvk9w8- <<< this si not the new IOS???

  8. Tin Tin

    Thank team so much. It helpful

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