I have a failed radio. Tried a different power supply. Can't talk to it by either port. I have ordered a replacement PTP820S which will be delivered today and installed by a tower crew tomorrow. My issue is getting the new radio configured. I have the config backup file but it was made when the system was installed four years ago. The firmware in the radio is 8.0.0.0.338. The firmware has never been upgraded since it was installed. I'm not sure yet but I suppose my new radio will have the new 10.5 firmware installed when it arrives. I have been told the old config file will not load properly into the new radio with the new firmware. Can someone confirm this? If so, I need to find out if I can put an earlier firmware in to radio to utilize my existing config backup. There is still an 8.3 firmware on the suppport site but not 8.0. Will my config file load into a radio running 8.3? I have a support ticket with Cambium and am waiting to see if they will send me a copy of the 8.0 firmware but the support seems woefully slow. I have had this ticket open since last week.
Once I get the config loaded in the new radio, then I can go ahead and upgrade both ends to the new 10.5.
Next question. Will the existing key which is in the config backup work with the new radio or do I need to get a new key from Cambium? This is all being done in a wilderness area with limited resources.
Thanks to anyone who could help me through this. I am familiar with the FTP procedures to install software and configurations in this radio. I see a chart on the support site that shows it is possible to go from 8.0 to 10.5 and back. It is in the 10.5 release notes.
I am not familiar enough with the radio to start configuring from scratch. I understand the radio part of the programming but the network part of the config is beyond me.
Any help would be much appreciated. There is a good size business relying on this link for their internet and the backup internet they have is very poor but at least working.
Thanks
Steve Schuh
Hi Steve,
It would be best to manually configure the new radio once you get it and upgrade your existing radio from 8.0 to 10.5. We can have a call this afternoon to go over the configuration steps if that works for you. I'll reply on the case you have open and we can schedule a time for a call. We'll take care of the license at the same time.
Thanks!
Steve
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That sounds Great! Thanks
Hello and sorry for your trouble.
An 8.0 version of the configuration won't load on a 10.x version of the firmware. It is very likely that a 8.0 version will load on an 8.3 version of the firmware, but I can't confirm for sure.
As for the keys, you will need to transfer them to the new unit http://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/PTP-FAQ/Can-i-transfer-PTP820-license-key-from-a-RMA-radio-to-a-spare/m-p/70271#U70271 I would start this process as soon as you have the SN of the new unit. You can use Demo admin mode to have the unit run without a license for 60 days of uptime. http://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/PTP-Configuration-Examples/Steps-to-Apply-License-on-a-PTP-820-Radio/m-p/60365#M43
Going backward from 10.x (or even 9.x) to 8.x will factory default the configuration. Assuming it is a straightforward PTP820S 1+0 setup, we introduced a configuration wizard to make the setup much easier (attached). Most likely your new radio will come with v10.3 (just what I've seen in the field). I would recommend 10.5 and you can use the FTP method, or HTTP to upgrade the firmware now (FTP instructions attached).
What I would recommend is to take another backup of your working 8.0 unit and upgrade it to 10.5. Then, take another backup of the configuration (save it in a different restore point so you can revert to 8.0 if necessary), and export it using FTP. You can then use this configuration file for the new device, but will need to change some parameters (e.g. name, Tx/Rx frequencies, etc.). Ideally both units will be on 10.5 after this process is done.
If you are not comfortable with that, you can DM me and I can provide the 8.0 version of the firmware.
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Help was received. Great technical support. The issues have all been resolved.
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