PMP450x System Release 24.2.1 is now available at https://support.cambiumnetworks.com/files/pmp450 and it will be available on cnMaestro cloud within 24hours.
Legacy P12 450 AP support
Release 24.2.1 includes an improvement — a limited reintroduction of support for P12 legacy 450 AP sectors. Operators with deployed P12 legacy APs should be aware of the following:
-
If a legacy AP sector operates at 20 MHz bandwidth or lower and uses a 2.5 ms frame size, leaving the AP on 24.1.1 (or older) while upgrading the SMs to 24.2 or newer creates an unstable configuration and should be avoided.
- If a sector enters this unstable state, recover it by either changing the frame size to 5 ms or upgrading the AP to Release 24.2 or 24.2.1.
-
The 24.2 Release Notes advise operators not to upgrade P12 APs beyond 24.1.1 due to performance concerns. However, Release 24.2.1 increases the VC depth for P12 legacy APs. This improvement mitigates performance losses seen in legacy sectors when deploying newer SM models that support deep virtual circuits (450i, 450b, Retro).
- For links between legacy 450 APs and P11 SMs, performance degrades when the AP runs Release 24.2 or 24.2.1, compared to 24.1.1.
- With this improvement, the maximum number of supported data virtual circuits under a legacy 450 AP reduces to 59.
- This limited reintroduction of support benefits operators deploying new SMs under legacy 450 AP sectors using newer software. Upgrading the legacy P12 AP to Release 24.2.1 avoids the stability issues noted above and improves performance for newer SM models, though some degradation may still occur on legacy P11 SM links.
Important update on FSB 9083
In Field Service Bulletin FSB 9083, Cambium advises operators about a certificate upgrade for cnMaestro Cloud. This security update takes effect on March 3, 2025.
To maintain connectivity to cnMaestro Cloud, the AP/BHM must have an accurate date and time. The source of the date/time does not matter—it may be:
- Configured through an NTP server
- Obtained via GPS synchronization
- Manually set in the AP/BHM GUI under Configuration > Time
Steps for operators without a proper date/time configuration
- Upgrade to Release 24.2 or Release 24.2.1
- Upgrading AP/BHM radios to Release 24.2 official updates the radio date to the latest of the software build date, the hardware build date, or a default software-configured time.
- Release 24.2.1 further improves certificate validation and time synchronization behavior by using a default NTP server of time.google.com if none has been configured, and avoiding time synchronization checks that could possibly fail certificate validation when attempting to onboard to cnMaestro.
- 450 Legacy APs (P12 radios) are not formally supported in Release 24.2. Operators either choose an alternative solution or upgrade to Release 24.2.1.
- If connectivity to cnMaestro is already lost, operators may use an alternative upgrade method such as CNUT or the Tools → Firmware Upgrade Utility.
- Manually configure an NTP server
- Configure an NTP server on each AP/BHM.
- This action requires a reboot and may be set via SNMP if preferred.
- Use GPS Synchronization for time
- Connect a GPS sync source or, in the case of 450v, 450 Legacy AP/BHM, 450b BHM, or MicroPoP, use onboard GPS to obtain time.
- Manually set the date/time
- Set the date/time manually through Configuration → Time in the AP/BHM GUI.
New features in 24.2.1
Since release 24.2.
PTP Support for 450v ROW models
Release 24.2.1 adds PTP configuration support for 450v 4x4 and 2x2 models in ROW regions. Support for FCC regions is planned for a future release.
Existing 450v radios programmed and sold as SMs can be converted to PTP with a license key purchase. Operators interested in this can contact their sales representative to obtain the key.
450v PTP links always operate with power control enabled. This differs from older hardware PTP links, where power control can be disabled on the BHM. Starting in 24.2.1, operators can enable Max TX Power and set a power cap on the BHS, similar to what PMP SMs already support. This functionality now applies to all 450-based BHS radios and SMs, including 450v BHS radios.
The 24.2.1 versions of the Configuration Guide and the Planning and Installation Guide include updated text, models, and instructions for ROW, FCC, and ISED models in preparation for the upcoming 24.2.2 release that supports PTP for FCC and ISED. However, only ROW PTP support is available in 24.2.1 for 450v. FCC and ISED (Canada) PTP support
becomes available in 24.2.2.
Fiber SFP Support for BHS and SM 450v 4x4 Radios
Release 24.2.1 introduces SFP module support for BHS and SM in addition to BHM. While Release 24.2 already supports SFP modules on 450v APs, this release extends that support to 4x4 SM and BHS models.
For supported SFP modules, refer to the PMP 450 Series Installation Guide and the SFP specification document. The same Cambium modules supported on 450v APs in 24.2 now apply to these SM and BHS models.
SFP is not supported on SM 450v models when NAT is enabled. Use copper for NAT operation on SMs.
Additional enhancements in Release 24.2.1
| Product | Tracking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 450v AP/BHM | CPYV-638 / CPY-19563 / CPY-19542 / CPY-19579 | Release 24.2.1 introduces a new CC Frequency column in the link status and session status pages. This column displays the center frequency of each component carrier. The Rate and BER columns now align their per-CC entries in the same order, allowing easier association with the corresponding carrier frequencies. This enhancement improves the interpretation of uplink statistics and enhances readability in dual CC configurations. |
| 450v Radios | CPY-19538 / CPY-19540 / CPY-19562 / CPY-19561 | Improved performance and stability on Ethernet and SFP interfaces. |
| All | CPY-19553 | Improved certificate validation and time synchronization behavior to avoid onboarding failures to cnMaestro. |
| 450v Radios | CPY-19586 | Improved FPGA behavior to reduce packet errors and enhance performance. |
Problems and limitations corrected in Release 24.2.1
| Products Affected | Tracking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 450v AP | CPY-19606 | Fixed an issue where an additional reboot was required to resume transmission after correcting an invalid center frequency configuration. |
| AP/BHM GUI | CPY-19589 | Fixed a bug where the GUI sometimes displayed an Illegal Radio Frequency Carrier Configured warning, even when the configuration was valid. |
| 450v AP | CPY-19582 | Removed the VC Depth configuration option from the AP web interface. All SMs now use 256 deep VC by default, based on positive feedback from 24.2. |
| 450v AP | CPY-19577 | Fixed a problem where the second carrier did not consistently activate after AP reboot in 5 MHz + 5 MHz configuration. |
| All | CPY-19572 | Resolved issues with DHCP Option 82 where original padding was incorrectly modified. |
| 450v AP | CPY-19570 | Fixed an issue where the AP failed to set EIRP and begin transmission after AFC exchange on bootup. |
| PTP 450b BHM | CPY-19569 | Fixed an issue with broken AUX port synchronization. |
| AP/BHM | CPY-19553 | Improved certificate validation and time synchronization by setting a default NTP server (time.google.com) if none was previously configured. |
| 450v SM | CPY-19551 | Fixed an issue where changing carrier 2 from 5.8 GHz to 6 GHz caused SMs to remain stuck in standard power mode. |
| SMs (Multi-Carrier) | CPY-19550 | Fixed session drop issues caused by improper session power adjustments when TRLs differ between carriers. |
| 3 GHz 450m APs | CPY-19510 | Fixed an issue where the UL RSSI was measured approximately 2.5 dB too high when interference cancellation was enabled. This caused SMs to reduce power unnecessarily. The issue did not affect 5 GHz 450m APs and only impacted SMs not operating at maximum power. |
| All BHM Products | CPY-19546 | Fixed an issue where downlink throughput was not reported to cnMaestro. |
| 450m AP | CPY-19401 | Fixed an issue where the AP got stuck in spectral scan mode after a CBRS-triggered bandwidth change. |
| Legacy 450 AP | CPY-19270 | Resolved an issue where throughput was lower in Release 24.2 compared to 24.1.1. |
| 450v | CPYV-905 | Adjusted modulation-specific TX power backoffs for better fine tuning. |
| 450v | CPYV-900 | Added averaging to GPS location for AFC reporting, improving accuracy and stability of TX power levels. |
Known issues and limitations in Release 24.2.1
| Products Affected | Tracking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 450v PTP platforms | CPY-19587 | For PTP ROW setups, the Minimum Modulation parameter under Configuration > Radio disables bridging if the modulation drops below the configured threshold. In 2 CC operation, the current code only considers the first CC’s modulation and ignores the second CC’s modulation, which may result in unexpected behavior. |
| P11 Legacy SMs and BHM/BHS radios | CPY-18123 | The image size increased in Release 24.2, requiring radios to have support for larger images. This support was added starting in Release 21.1.0.1. Therefore, when upgrading P11 SMs or BHM/BHS radios from 20.3.1.2 or older to 24.2 or newer, Cambium recommends upgrading to an intermediate build (for example, 21.1.0.1) first. This issue is not new to 24.2.1 but is included here for visibility as it was missed in the 24.2 Release Notes. |