Loading IOS on a 25XX WLAN Controller

This HowTo works with an AIR-TC-2504-K9 and probably with all other models from this series.

• You have to have the IOS image (e.g. AIR-CT2500-K9-7-6-110-0.aes) ready on a TFTP server in your local network.
• Connect to the controller's serial console port.
• Connect the controller's network port #1 to a switch in your local network.
• If the controller is new/unconfigured, you have to finish the basic setup wizard first (mainly to get network connectivity) via the serial console:
  • Hostname: airtemp
  • Administratirve user name: admin
  • Password: Cisco123
  • Enable LAG: NO
  • Management interface IP address: 192.168.1.241
  • Management interface netmask: 255.255.255.0
  • Management interface default router: 192.168.1.254
  • Management interface VLAN ID: just hit ENTER without putting anything
  • Management interface port number: 1
  • Management interface DHCP server: 192.168.0.10
  • Virtual gateway IP address: 192.168.50.241
  • Multicast IP address: 239.0.0.1
  • Mobility/RF group name: grouptemp
  • Network name SSID: ssidtemp
  • DHCP bridging: NO
  • Allow static IP addresses: YES
  • Configure RADIUS server: NO
  • Country code list: US
  • Enable network 802.11b: NO
  • Enable network 802.11a: NO
  • Enable Auto-RF: NO
  • Configure NTP server: NO
  • Configure system time: NO
  • Configuration correct? → YES → Controller reboots now.
• After reboot, login to the controller on the serial console using username admin and password Cisco123.
• Try to ping your TFTP server's IP address: ping 192.168.1.11. If it doesn't work, fix your network config.
• Type show sysinfo to verify the firmware version the controller is running.
• Type the following commands to initiate the upgrade procedure via TFTP:
  • transfer download datatype code
  • transfer download mode tftp
  • transfer download serverip 192.168.1.11
  • transfer download path .
  • transfer download filename AIR-CT2500-K9-7-6-110-0.aes
  • transfer download start
  • Wait for the download and system upgrade procedure to finish. This can take some time (at least 10 mins)
• When the upgrade procedure has finished (you should see the message Reboot the controller for update to complete.), type reset system to reboot the controller. When asked if you want to save the changed config, answer YES. The controller will reboot now and load the newly installed image.
• Optional, continue with one of the following:
  • When the controller is back up again, type Recover-Config at the username prompt to reset the switch to factory defaults.
  • Apply a configuration file