Instead of using the Canopy Network Updater Tool to upgrade firmware on a PMP450 radio, are there any plans to implement some type of upload tool directly into the web interface for upgrading / downgrading firmware?
This would make it so much easier for techs in the field to do on-site firmware updates without having to download / install / learn how to use the CNUT software locally. Not only that, but it seems that upgrading the firmware via CNUT isn’t possible while using the radio in NAT mode and plugged into the Ethernet port of the SM. (We’ve used a default plug momentarily to update the firmware, then removed it after the upgrade).
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It has always been a philosophy of Cambium Networks to perform “system” upgrades instead of individual device upgrades in order to maintain software/firmware consistency among the network. While we always attempt to maintain complete compatibility between releases, often having mismatched software is a source of issues. A separate management tool that can help manage this has been our chosen solution to this dilemma, and we will continue to do this.
At this time, there are no plans for a direct web interface upgrade. However, we are always looking for ways of making software updates much easier and smoother for our customers, and some upcoming features will undoubtedly get us closer to what you describe here.
We’d love to see a direct upgrade functionality in the SMs. I like the “system” philosophy plenty, but our techs are working with individual SMs a lot more frequently than I upgrade our entire network. CNUT is great for me in the office but for a guy in the field it is very cumbersome and intimidating. It would save us a lot of time to have direct upgrades, as well as make it easier to send a non-specialized tech (telco or alarm system, say) out on wireless jobs without having to make sure they know the FTP settings, the SNMP settings, have the right version of CNUT, print out instructions on how to use CNUT, etc… It really is a very poor approach for the field.
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I have to agree with the comment from salad. The technician is the person that responds to issues in the field. The individual may have to reload software/firmware to get a radio back to a set state. They need the tools to get this done. They don't need to know how to administer the system; they need to know how to administer the site. The system's engineer is the person that is best suited for CNUT. These are two different roles and skill sets that need their own set of tools.
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Ok here's a curveball for Cambium created by the Cambium methodology.
I'm upgrading my client SM's and AP's to 15.0.2 for the ability to utilize 30mhz.
You keep shipping me radios with ver 13.3 firmware which is completely incapable of running 30mhz. Therefore I cannot program and deploy radios and upgrade once they are connected.
How do you suggest I get my new radios to connect to my network, so I can perform upgrades, so I can deploy them?
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New features are added to the product software with every release. We are currently programming R15.0.3 into radios that are being built in the factory. However, because we have a sales channel that stocks material, there is a time period in which the distributors and VARs will have stock with outdated software versions.
If that is the case, it's recommended that you upgrade the software using cnMaestro or CNUT in the office or lab prior to deploying it. We do our best to ensure that the product we are building is on the latest release, and has the most up to date feature set.
Matt
For what its worth,
I’m new to Cambium and a prosumer at best (Cambium is the only MFG producing 900MHz radios and I have 1/3mi of forest to penetrate). I’m upgrading two 450 backhaul radios for an L2 transparent bridge and was looking for info on doing this. Found this thread, which had me worried.
Fortunately the instructions for CNUT cover this in a a few steps; easy peasy:
Steps to Perform a Single Radio Local Upgrade
29. Start Network Updater.
30. If you don’t start up with a blank new network file, then open a new network file with the New Network Archive operation (see FileNew Network Archive).
31. Enter a new network element to the empty network tree using the Add Elements to Network Root operation (see EditAdd Elements to Network Root).
32. On the Add Elements dialogue, select a type of Subscriber Module and enter the IP address of 169.254.1.1 within the Element Host Names area of the dialogue.
33. Make sure the proper Installation Package is active with the Package Manager dialogue (see UpdateManage Packages).
34. To verify connectivity with the radio, perform a Refresh/Discover Entire Network operation (see ViewRefresh/Discover Entire Network). You should see the details columns for the new element filled in with ESN and software version information.
35. Initiate the upgrade of radio using the Update Entire Network Root operation (see UpdateUpdate Entire Network Root). When this operation finishes, the radio is done being upgraded.
I just discovered there is a way to use Cambium’s cnArcher Android App on Windows 10. You have to install something called BlueStacks which allows Android apps to be run on windows, then load the apk. Basic Instructions are here: Download cnArcher APK for Windows - Version cnArcher (#160)
We were able to make this work and talk to an SM hooked to our computer, and were even able to successfully upgrade the firmware.
The cnArcher team should look into a Chrome Web App or Extension that will run cnArcher on Windows 10, so you don’t have to go through the BlueStacks implementation.
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Unfortunately,
By your choose to do this you have caused the exact opposite in our network.
Let’s say that we are standardized on firmware version 1.2.2 in our network because it has been confirm to be solid and stable.
We buy new CPEs, which the tech takes out of the box. The only way to get software consistency across the network is for him to connect it to the tower and let cnMaestro download the selected firmware. Unfortunately, because of the version of firmware on the device this might not work, for any number of reason.
By allowing the tech to upload the selected firmware version that we have authorized for use on our network every CPE that is connected to the network already is loaded with our confirmed and authorized firmware version.
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This is exactly the situation I just discussed in my reply. The inability to upgrade on a per radio basis leads to inconsistencies they say they are trying to avoid.
It should never be the vendor’s method to force the way we do something (mis-matched firmware may cause issues). Allow ways to do things, and then offer best practices.
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This thread viewed 4,000+ times. I think this is a feature customers want.
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I would like to be able to manage these just like I do with F200 or F325
+1 for web based firmware update.
Would be nice to use a Mac without a VM running Linux in order to do an update.
And how convenient would it be to use a smartphone to initiate a firmware update.
And as much as Cambium is showing they test their software very well – it would be great to be able to give installers a single firmware file and tell them “install this on every CPE you install” especially when in cloud cnMaestro you might onboard something this week, and next week the firmware file doesn’t exist anymore because a new one has been released.
This has been asked for for months… I don’t understand why it doesn’t exist.
well fix it cause you costing me employees this is so dumb.
FWIW all our techs have dropbox installed on their laptops. We always dump whatever fw we want them to use in dropbox and they use cnut to update their radios on site.
Its time to ditch CNUT.
Bump - Keeping this thread going as there should be both options, local through GUI and then also from central location
+1 for browser interface firmware update.