1121 not registering to WLC

I was converting AP’s from Autonomous to Lightweight AP’s yesterday when I ran into issues with a couple of old 1121G. I only saw the AP register to the controller for 3-4 seconds before it disconnected. While pinging the AP it responded for 1 minute before it did go into a reboot.

I then logged into the WLC to do a debug. I used the following debug command:

(Cisco Controller) >debug capwap errors enable

The output from this repeated itself every time the AP was up and running.

Dec 03 11:26:02.616: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Join Priority Processing status = 0, Incoming Ap's Priority 0, MaxLrads = 100,joined Aps =1
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:12.645: Could not find BoardDataPayload
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:14.685: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Refusing image download to AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 - unable to open image file /bsn/ap//c1100
 Error:No such file or directory(2)
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:14.685: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Number of open file descriptors for spam process is: 97
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:14.685: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decoding of Image Data failed from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:15.683: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Error decrypting packet from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
 sessionId 2367ed6d, recvNonce 2367ed6e, sendNonce 2367ed6d
 key b9.87.16.0b.97.72.4e.e8
 c4.c5.ee.e1.d4.c7.f3.62

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:15.683: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 rxN 00.23.67.ed.6e.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00
 txN 00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:15.683: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decryption of message from AP failed00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:15.683: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Security processing of Image Data failed for AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:16.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Error decrypting packet from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
 sessionId 2367ed6d, recvNonce 2367ed6e, sendNonce 2367ed6d
 key b9.87.16.0b.97.72.4e.e8
 c4.c5.ee.e1.d4.c7.f3.62

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:16.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 rxN 00.23.67.ed.6e.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00
 txN 00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:16.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decryption of message from AP failed00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:16.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Security processing of Image Data failed for AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:17.686: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Error decrypting packet from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
 sessionId 2367ed6d, recvNonce 2367ed6e, sendNonce 2367ed6d
 key b9.87.16.0b.97.72.4e.e8
 c4.c5.ee.e1.d4.c7.f3.62

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:17.686: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 rxN 00.23.67.ed.6e.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00
 txN 00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:17.686: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decryption of message from AP failed00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:17.686: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Security processing of Image Data failed for AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:18.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Error decrypting packet from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
 sessionId 2367ed6d, recvNonce 2367ed6e, sendNonce 2367ed6d
 key b9.87.16.0b.97.72.4e.e8
 c4.c5.ee.e1.d4.c7.f3.62

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:18.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 rxN 00.23.67.ed.6e.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00
 txN 00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:18.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decryption of message from AP failed00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:18.687: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Security processing of Image Data failed for AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:19.690: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Error decrypting packet from AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
 sessionId 2367ed6d, recvNonce 2367ed6e, sendNonce 2367ed6d
 key b9.87.16.0b.97.72.4e.e8
 c4.c5.ee.e1.d4.c7.f3.62

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:19.690: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 rxN 00.23.67.ed.6e.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00
 txN 00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
 00.00.00.00.00

*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:19.690: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Decryption of message from AP failed00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:19.690: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Security processing of Image Data failed for AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:20.733: Unable to find deleted AP 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88
*spamApTask0: Dec 03 11:26:20.733: 00:1e:4a:a8:b1:88 Join Priority Processing status = 0, Incoming Ap's Priority 0, MaxLrads = 100,joined Aps =1
*spamReceiveTask: Dec 03 11:26:32.658: b4:b6:76:c3:56:db Unable to get RadId. Sending of PMK cache entry to all APs in flexconnect group failed :: bssid 00:00:00:00:00:00

Security processing of Image Data failed for AP was a message in the output that I thought was strange and also other references to the image. I then checked the Cisco Wireless Controller Compability Matrix, to my dissapointment the AP was no longer supported. It ended up with a long and slow process of having one of the local guys in Chile downgrading from Controllerbased AP to a Standalone….