Aruba AP to IAP

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pnam2kx

New Member
Sep 26, 2020
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How do I know which one is it when buying it used for homelab?
As far as I know, there's no mention of that in the specsheet.
The best way is asking for apboot cli screenshot.
Otherwise try to avoid the DOM 2016 as these are first batch with lots of mixed up issue with ram and apboot(315 & 335 cannot upgrade to OS8) limitation.
 

fishwok

New Member
Dec 1, 2020
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I'm new to Aruba but we have some an extra AP-335 that I can mess with. I'm trying to get it to work independent (like an IAP model) of our controller for a remote site that won't always be connected.

I just went through these steps with 8.7.1.0 and it worked (at least I think). I found that my router was having an issue with dhcp so that fixed the first problem i had as the device was not getting a DHCP address.

When I log into the SSID, it prompts me to select a country code. US is not in the list. I tried setting it from the command line and it says that it is invalid for this AP. Is this because it was originally an AP-335 instead of an IAP-335?
 
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pnam2kx

New Member
Sep 26, 2020
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Do you know if this is also true for the AP-315?
AP315 was released later after 324/325 so all of them have 512mb ram.
Just be careful with the apboot version of batch that manufactured 2016 as it could not able to upgrade to os8 due to image size was limited to 14mb. Otherwise it can run on os6 perfectly fine.
 

Nicram

New Member
Jan 14, 2021
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Poland
Hello everyone. I'm completely new to Aruba AP's. I get one from a friend. Just the device without anything at all. What i learned it is AP 325 model. I learned that it can use some kind of controller (i'm familiar with ubiquiti unifi controller), or work as standalone device (this is called instant mode right?). As far as i understand, there are two AP versions out there - one that need controller, and second that can be standalone or controller by choice. I try to reset the device but wifi signal didn't appeared. I was sure it's just broken but i give it a try with serial cable and putty, and it loading, and then rebooting "Running ADP...cat: /tmp/master: No such file or directory, Done. Master is" and few lines more till "Please stand by while rebooting the system."
So if i understand it correctly i got version without instant mode. This is how i found this forum, that helped me to understand all those things.
The question is, is there any place where i can download firmware for this device (i've got one from 2015 with 256MB memory:
APBoot 1.5.5.5 (build 55373), Built: 2016-06-09 at 11:36:40, Model: AP-32x, DRAM: 235 MB, SF: Detected MX25U3235F with page size 64 kB, total 4 MB, Flash: 4 MB, NAND: 132 MiB)? On the Aruba Support Site there was some error when i tried to login. Are there any other places? Or can anyone help me with that? So i could try to upload instant firmware? I've got no access to controller or any kind of Aruba/HPE software/controller/anything.
 

mimino

Active Member
Nov 2, 2018
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@Nicram You got the main points right. According to the post above, yours has only 256mb of RAM and cannot run OS 8. That means it cannot be converted to instant and must be run with a controller.
 
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rootpeer

Member
Oct 19, 2019
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Any comparisons with AP-315, AP-325 and Unifi AC Lite, AC LR?

Also, do these support Macsec or at least 802.1x? I can't find any mentions in the documentation. I think the AP-200 series supported Macsec but I might be wrong.
 

pnam2kx

New Member
Sep 26, 2020
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Update for the hashcode, if you would like to change between US-RW do the following:

Using SHA1 encode the string "US-AP S/N" or "RW-AP S/N" respectively (for exp: US-ABC12345)

After that replace the hashcode accordingly from the converting command.
 
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l7777

New Member
Feb 1, 2021
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The process below is converting AP to IAP only with console cable and no controller needed.
Setup TFTP server with firmware ready and connect to the AP with Putty/Serial (Console cable)
Stop the apboot by any key when see this message "Hit <Enter> to stop autoboot:3"
  1. proginv system ccode CCODE-RW-de6fdb363ff04c13ee261ec04fbb01bdd482d1cd
    (Important, to write the country code. When converting to IAP the IAP must have country code to operate. Not sure for US-AP as never tried so because it is tied with US regulation, but for the code try to change only RW to US and keep everything else same. Please try and let us know, if not, need to find out the US with the hashcode accordingly)
  2. invent -w
    (Important, converting AP into IAP)
  3. dhcp
    (Get the ip address for the AP before upgrading os through TFTP.
    If could not get the ip from DHCP server, use this command to set static ip for the ap "setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.2")
  4. setenv serverip 192.168.88.177
    (Set TFTP server ip before flashing the firmware OS)
  5. upgrade os 0 ArubaInstant_xxx_6.x.x.x-4.x.x.x_5xxxx
  6. upgrade os 1 ArubaInstant_xxx_6.x.x.x-4.x.x.x_5xxxx
    (there are 2 boot image on the ap, just to make sure it will not rollback to AP-OS)
  7. factory_reset
    (optional, clean up the static ip that set before)
  8. saveenv
    (IMPORTANT, save the configuration so the "turn off mobility" will not appear)
  9. reset

You can replace the hashcode to change the regulation between RW-US and based on your AP S/N by the following:
Using SHA1 encode the string "US-AP S/N" or "RW-AP S/N" respectively (for exp: US-ABC12345)
After that replace the hashcode accordingly from the converting command.
Thank you, a couple questions/confirmation that I'm understanding correctly
  1. This looks like you are using os6. Does that mean it will work with AP-325 units that only have 256 MB RAM?
  2. Does the same process work with os8?
  3. To generate the proper hash in step 1 for an AP-325 with SN: AA9581335 (not real) You would use the SHA1 of US-AA9581335 which would make the command in step 1: proginv system ccode CCODE-US-4828139c1bf2575f9efe50e144a0193e3ff4c7a0
 

pnam2kx

New Member
Sep 26, 2020
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3
Thank you, a couple questions/confirmation that I'm understanding correctly
  1. This looks like you are using os6. Does that mean it will work with AP-325 units that only have 256 MB RAM?
  2. Does the same process work with os8?
  3. To generate the proper hash in step 1 for an AP-325 with SN: AA9581335 (not real) You would use the SHA1 of US-AA9581335 which would make the command in step 1: proginv system ccode CCODE-US-4828139c1bf2575f9efe50e144a0193e3ff4c7a0
  1. It does not matter which os you are using as this process is under apboot.
  2. Yes (as answered in 1)
  3. Correct
 
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alsenior

Member Member
Apr 19, 2016
56
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Has anyone got a converted AP to join a virtual cluster? Ive converted 2 ap325 to iap and for some reason there refusing to join my existing VC even though they can be seen and are in the same vlan as the master.
 

l7777

New Member
Feb 1, 2021
9
0
1
Has anyone got a converted AP to join a virtual cluster? Ive converted 2 ap325 to iap and for some reason there refusing to join my existing VC even though they can be seen and are in the same vlan as the master.
There should be an error in the VC telling you why they are not connecting.
 

Utking

New Member
Nov 12, 2016
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Struggling a bit with mine, does this seems to be correct?

apboot> mfginfo
Inventory:
Card 0: System
Date Code : 062617
Serial : CNDFHN7235
Wired MAC : 44:48:c1:c1:e1:20
Wired MAC Count : 2
Radio 5G SN : NJ3CH2400093X01
Radio 2G SN : NHQGH240027FX01
Country : CCODE-RW-84dd49fa4ba33c03ff9ef77fc9a419c9e66daf41
Card 1: CPU
Major Rev : 10
Minor Rev/Variant : 00
Assembly : 2010220B
Serial : 0H2400B70
Card 2: Antenna
Minor Rev/Variant : 01

Thanks! :)

Edit: Also i get ERR_SSL_SERVER_CERT_BAD_FORMAT as an error when trying to access the web portal.

Is there any way i can check if i have flashed it with the correct firmware?
 
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pnam2kx

New Member
Sep 26, 2020
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Struggling a bit with mine, does this seems to be correct?

apboot> mfginfo
Inventory:
Card 0: System
Date Code : 062617
Serial : CNDFHN7235
Wired MAC : 44:48:c1:c1:e1:20
Wired MAC Count : 2
Radio 5G SN : NJ3CH2400093X01
Radio 2G SN : NHQGH240027FX01
Country : CCODE-RW-84dd49fa4ba33c03ff9ef77fc9a419c9e66daf41
Card 1: CPU
Major Rev : 10
Minor Rev/Variant : 00
Assembly : 2010220B
Serial : 0H2400B70
Card 2: Antenna
Minor Rev/Variant : 01

Thanks! :)
With your S/N, the hash for RW should be 64ffc0b716789ee9665c2986732c7665dd9ed9b4

You need to include country code when generate the hash, which is in this case "RW-CNDFHN7235"
 

Utking

New Member
Nov 12, 2016
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Thanks pnam2kx! :)

About the bad cert, chrome wouldn't let me load the loginpage, had to use firefox. So goodbye chrome :)

Any idea when 8.8 is coming out btw?
 
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IamSpartacus

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2016
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I just got a hold of two brand new AP-315's (I believe campus models). This is what I see in the console. Are these a lot cause for converting to IAP since they are MFG'd in 2016?

EDIT: Does anyone know what commands to run to upgrade the firmware of the AP from 6.5 to the latest (8.8) via console and TFTP without a controller?

Code:
APBoot 1.5.5.7 (build 56398)
Built: 2016-09-08 at 14:21:29

Model: AP-31x
DRAM:  491 MB
SF:    Detected MX25U3235F with page size 64 kB, total 4 MB
Flash: 4 MB
NAND:  132 MiB
PCIE0: link up
PCIE1: link up
       dev fn venID devID class  rev    MBAR0    MBAR1    MBAR2    MBAR3
       00  00  168c  0046 00002   00 00000004 00000000 00000000 00000000
       dev fn venID devID class  rev    MBAR0    MBAR1    MBAR2    MBAR3
       00  00  168c  0040 00002   00 00000004 00000000 00000000 00000000
Power: 802.3at POE
In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
Net:   eth0
Radio: qca9983#0, qca9990#1
Reset: cold
FIPS:  passed

Hit <Enter> to stop autoboot:  0
apboot> mfginfo
Inventory:
Card 0: System
        Wired MAC           : 20:a6:cd:c8:2f:d6
        Wired MAC Count     : 2
        Serial              : CNDPJ0TC77
        Date Code           : 081017
Card 1: CPU
        Assembly            : 2010252C
        Major Rev           : 06
        Minor Rev/Variant   : 00
        Date Code           : 081017
Card 2: Antenna
        Minor Rev/Variant   : 01

apboot> version

APBoot 1.5.5.7 (build 56398)
Built: 2016-09-08 at 14:21:29
apboot> osinfo
Partition 0 does not contain a valid OS image

Partition 1:
    image type: 0
  machine type: 40
          size: 8268300
       version: 6.5.0.0
  build string: ArubaOS version 6.5.0.0 for 32x (p4build@corfu) (gcc version 4.6.3 20120201 (prerelease) (Linaro GCC 4.6-2012.02) ) #54817 SMP Thu Apr 28 07:05:41 PDT 2016
         flags: preserve factory
           oem: aruba

Image is signed; verifying checksum... passed
Signer Cert OK
Policy Cert OK
RSA signature verified.
 
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mimino

Active Member
Nov 2, 2018
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I just got a hold of two brand new AP-315's (I believe campus models). This is what I see in the console. Are these a lot cause for converting to IAP since they are MFG'd in 2016?
Yours has 512Mb RAM (all 315's should) so you're good.

EDIT: Does anyone know what commands to run to upgrade the firmware of the AP from 6.5 to the latest (8.8) via console and TFTP without a controller?
See this post. I have not tried it personally, by the time it was posted I've already converted mine with the controller.
 

IamSpartacus

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2016
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Yours has 512Mb RAM (all 315's should) so you're good.


See this post. I have not tried it personally, by the time it was posted I've already converted mine with the controller.
Thanks, this seems to have worked and was quite painless. However, I'm failing to get into the WebUI. I thought the default login was admin/admin. Am I mistaken?

EDIT: Nvmd, I see the password is the AP Serial #. I'm in!
 
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