Home / server / Questions / 327629
Accepted
Josh Brower
Asked: 2011-11-04 18:32:19 +0800 CST

Multiple 1200 Aironets - Random shutdowns, including serial console

  • 772

I have over 20 1200 series PoE Aironets in a large building, using multiple vlans + WPA.

Starting about 6 weeks ago, random waps will just stop responding to ping, ssh, http, and stops serving clients--I have connected via serial, and I dont get anything... Once I powercyle though, it works fine for an inderterminate amount of time, at which case it goes back to not responding.

I have switch PoE ports on the PoE switch, switched out to using PoE injecters, used a different switch, etc.

Software versions:

System Software Filename: c1200-k9w7-tar.123-8.JA
System Software Version: 12.3(8)JA
Bootloader Version: 12.2(8)JA

I also did some sniffing on this vlan (mgmt vlan) which all it currently has is the 20-odd aironets, and about 5 switches. I am seeing a bit of stp traffic, maybe a couple stp packets / second, with the current root bridge cost of 8.

I dont have any other ideas on what is going on....

Any ideas?

cisco access-point

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    This ended up being a bug in the firmware... Found it in a memory dump of one of the Aironets, and then finally found reference to it buried in a Cisco doc. Upgraded with a fix, and they have been stable ever since.

    • 1

  2. Two thoughts come to mind:

    1. Heat: About 2/3rds of the time I have random shutdowns and lock ups of IT gear, it ended up be caused by overheating. I've not had that with the Cisco 1200s, but I have had it with switches, routers, and servers.
    2. Cable: The Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring by David Groth claims that nearly 70% of network problems are caused by poor cabling (Page 5).

    If you can temporarily rig up the 1200 in some other location and it never has a problem, then you can be pretty sure it is one or the other.

    • 0