WifiNigel

" Cisco Unified Wireless Network Field Upgrade Software (FUS), Release 1.8.0.0, is a special AES package that performs various system-related component upgrades for Cisco Wireless LAN 2500 Series Controllers. If you are using a Cisco 2500 Series Controller and you upgrade to the 7.4.100.0 controller software release and intend to use the Application Visibility and Control (AVC) and NetFlow protocol features, you must install Cisco Unified Wireless Network Field Upgrade Software, Release 1.8.0.0. This release is not required if you are using other controller hardware models." http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/controller/release/notes/fus_1_8_0_0.html This definitely worth noting if you are upgrading to 7.4, as the new AVC features will not work without it. Also, it is well worth attaching a console cable whilst doing the upgrade as it takes a long time (around 30 minutes). Without the console, you'll be sitting there with your fingers crossed, breaking out...

I've been taking a look at the Bonjour protocol in general recently due to some requirements I have been looking at for customers. The availability of Bonjour gateways from the likes of Cisco and Aerohive certainly make things a lot easier to provide access to Bonour services without having to jump through lots of multicast-over-wireless hoops. One area of particular focus has been Apple TV. It seems to be quite a popular device with execs who want to be able to mirror their iPad on to a meeting room projector. There are some great tools that allow you to browse the services that are available on a network. I have been using  Bonjour Browser for Windows , though other Mac equivalents are also available. When looking at the services available from an Apple TV, I see the following services advertised: _airplay._tcp. _raop._tcp. _sleep-proxy._udp. _touch-able._tcp. _appletv-v2._tcp I was interested to know what each of these services does. So, here it w...

This is just a quick note about some Apple services you may see advertised using mDNS when you are implementing a Bonjour gateway on your wireless network. I've been investigating which services might be visible when the iTunes application is being run on computers that are connected to the wireless network. From my testing, I have only been able to find 2 services you may come across when using iTunes ( this just considers the iTunes application and does not include any other services from Apple TV, printers etc .): _daap._tcp.local. _apple-mobdev._tcp.local. _daap._tcp.local. This service becomes available when you choose the option to share your library on the local network Share library on local network: The service advertisements are generated by the iTunes software on the computer (and hence originate from the computer itself) to be detected by other devices/computers across the network _apple-mobdev._tcp.local. This service becomes visible when...

This probably falls into that category: " stuff that everyone else already knows, but I don't ", but I thought it was worth jotting down a few notes about. I recently saw someone tweet about the command: " netsh show wlan <various options> ", which I had never heard of before. After having had a look through the command help screens, it seems an incredibly useful command if you want to quickly find out about the wireless networks and the wireless capabilities of a Windows 7 machine you're working on. Much of the information can be found by poking around in various GUI pages, but this command line utility is much quicker to use and gives a greater depth of information. I'll just run through a few useful examples and then leave you to poke about in the help pages yourself if you want to know more. A great way to get a summary of the wireless networks that a Win 7 client can hear is to open a command window (...or a DOS box as I like to call i...

Just a quick note for anyone who may come across a similar issue when trying to deploy server images on to their VMWare environment. I've been lucky enough to get a new server recently to test various virtual WLCs and management packages that are being put out by various wireless vendors. But after installing ESXi and deploying a couple of server images, when I tried to start the virtual servers up, I kept getting the following messages popping up in vShere: (For search engine benefit: This virtual machine is configured for 64-bit operating systems. However, 64-bit operation is not possible. Longmode is not possible. Longmode is disabled for this virtual machine ) Also, in the console of the server (Cisco MSE & NCS), I was getting the following reported: " Your CPU does not support long mode. use a 32 bit distribution " I was concerned that maybe there was an issue with my server CPU, in terms of support for virtualization.  I rebooted the server ...

The whole area around the free DTLS license that can be obtained for Cisco WLCs has always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me. I'm never sure whether I need the additional license or I already have it to be honest. Anyhow, today on my home lab I tried to have a look at some features which required DTLS between the AP & WLC, only to find that my 2504 did not support the option (the option was grayed out). After some digging around on the Cisco forums, I found that the following licensing link can be used to obtain the DTLS entitlement license with very little fuss at all: https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/loadDemoLicensee?FormId=4090 The information to be entered can be found on the WLC inventory page. Only the model number & serial number are required. Within seconds, I had the license (which can be downloaded directly or sent by email) and applied it to my 2504 (Management > Software Activation > Commands > Install License)

In my recent article : ' WiFi Channels On The 5GHz Band In The UK ', I noted that although the 5GHz channels 120, 124 and 128 are unlicensed channels available for use by WiFi equipment in the UK, it appears that a few major WiFi equipment manufacturers do not allow their use (in the UK or EU). I spoke with a major vendor representative today who advised me that the 3 channels are available for use, but that an update to the ETSI standard  301 893 v1.5.1  introduced some detection techniques for various military equipment used in the EU. However, many access points that were already manufactured (or using chip-sets that had already been manufactured) did not support the granularity of detection that is required for this equipment. So, it was decided to simply disable support for the affected channels. Apparently, later APs which use an updated chip-set will not be subject to the same limitations (once a few firmware updates are sorted out). I had a poke ab...