We have several locations in our network that are serviced using older (7 years old) non Advantage 5.2 GHz AP’s. The problem is that we can not purchase any new SM’s as they will not work with these old AP’s. Our only source is used SM’s which are still somewhat available form some sources, but I have trouble figuring out exactly which ones are going to be compatible with our old AP’s. The Status page of the old AP’s does not list the hardware platform, the way the new ones do. I called Canopy tech support which is of course completely useless these days since the service was moved to some Czech call center. Any help would be appreciated.
The info from the AP’s status page:
Device type
5.2GHz - Multipoint - Access Point - 0a-00-3e-00-f0-f5
Software Version
CANOPY 7.3.6 Oct 24 2005 12:06:56 AP-DES
Software Boot Version
CANOPYBOOT 3.0
FPGA Version
051104 (DES)
You will need P9 or older which should be 5200SM.
jwelch wrote: You will need P9 or older which should be 5200SM.
Hmmm... I thought it would have been earlier than P9.
And to clarify on the part #, so are you saying that the newer SM's have a different part #? So if it says 5200SM, it is good to go?
Thanks.
This is what you can use as a guide
P8 APs - Can only run Software Scheduled SMs.
P9 APs - Can run EITHER Software or Hardware Scheduled SMs. To use Software SMs, you need to run 7.3.6 at the AP. P9’s are nice because they make a good transition step, and once everything is converted later to Hardware Scheduling, you simply change the P9 AP to Hardware Scheduling, then update to latest version, along with all the SMs !!
P10 APs - Must run Hardware Schedule SMs. ALL SMs ever made are capable of Hardware Scheduling !!! The catch… you must use CNUT and a P9 AP to get all your P7 or P8 SMs converted to HW Scheduling, since 1) there is no simple software switch to change P8’s to HW scheduling. 2) P9s are the only APs capable of both SW and HW scheduling.
Hope that helps!
Paul McCall, Pres.
PDMNet Canopy Repair
772-564-6800
paulchops wrote: This is what you can use as a guide
P8 APs - Can only run Software Scheduled SMs.
P9 APs - Can run EITHER Software or Hardware Scheduled SMs. To use Software SMs, you need to run 7.3.6 at the AP. P9's are nice because they make a good transition step, and once everything is converted later to Hardware Scheduling, you simply change the P9 AP to Hardware Scheduling, then update to latest version, along with all the SMs !!
P10 APs - Must run Hardware Schedule SMs. ALL SMs ever made are capable of Hardware Scheduling !!! The catch.. you must use CNUT and a P9 AP to get all your P7 or P8 SMs converted to HW Scheduling, since 1) there is no simple software switch to change P8's to HW scheduling. 2) P9s are the only APs capable of both SW and HW scheduling.
Hope that helps!
Paul McCall, Pres.
PDMNet Canopy Repair
772-564-6800
Thanks that is useful info in general, but unless I am missing what you are trying to tell me, this is good info for purchasing AP's.
I am wanting to buy old SM's not AP's. At this point I am more concerned with 2 things.
1. How do I know what AP I already have?
2. What SM's can I buy to work with these AP's?
You will want to start a Telnet Session to the Access Point. Once logged in, run the command “ver”. This will tell you what hardware platform your AP is.
If your AP is hardware platform 7 or 8 you can support hardware platform 7, 8 or 9 SMs as these units can all run software version 7.3.6 w/ software scheduling. If you AP is hardware platfrom 9 you can support hardware platform 7, 8, or 9 SMs (All Software Versions), and hardware platform 10 SMs (Software Version 8 +).
The SM part numbers are all the same, except the ending changes referencing the hardware version. Any PN with a “DD” at the end represents hardware platform 10 (e.g. 5200SMDD), any PN with a “BC” at the end represents hardware platform 9 (e.g. 5200SMBC), etc.
mbsi wrote: You will want to start a Telnet Session to the Access Point. Once logged in, run the command "ver". This will tell you what hardware platform your AP is.
If your AP is hardware platform 7 or 8 you can support hardware platform 7, 8 or 9 SMs as these units can all run software version 7.3.6 w/ software scheduling. If you AP is hardware platfrom 9 you can support hardware platform 7, 8, or 9 SMs (All Software Versions), and hardware platform 10 SMs (Software Version 8 +).
The SM part numbers are all the same, except the ending changes referencing the hardware version. Any PN with a "DD" at the end represents hardware platform 10 (e.g. 5200SMDD), any PN with a "BC" at the end represents hardware platform 9 (e.g. 5200SMBC), etc.
Thank you very much. I would have thought any Canopy support member should have known this off the top of their head!
This will help a lot. Looks like all the AP's in question are platform 8.
etech wrote: [quote="paulchops":1vceny94]This is what you can use as a guide
P8 APs - Can only run Software Scheduled SMs.
P9 APs - Can run EITHER Software or Hardware Scheduled SMs. To use Software SMs, you need to run 7.3.6 at the AP. P9's are nice because they make a good transition step, and once everything is converted later to Hardware Scheduling, you simply change the P9 AP to Hardware Scheduling, then update to latest version, along with all the SMs !!
P10 APs - Must run Hardware Schedule SMs. ALL SMs ever made are capable of Hardware Scheduling !!! The catch.. you must use CNUT and a P9 AP to get all your P7 or P8 SMs converted to HW Scheduling, since 1) there is no simple software switch to change P8's to HW scheduling. 2) P9s are the only APs capable of both SW and HW scheduling.
Hope that helps!
Paul McCall, Pres.
PDMNet Canopy Repair
772-564-6800
The reason for this info, in addition to the basic answer of any SM other than P10 will work with any other AP is this...
If you are buying used SMs and you have either P8 or P10 APs, and you buy P8 SMs that are in one mode or another, you will NOT be able to change them to SW to HW modes (and vice versa).
So, now that you know you have P8 SMs, make sure that they are ALREADY in SW mode before you buy them or you CANNOT change to SW mode (without a P9 AP to "bridge the gap" and change modes)
That was why that explanation. Hope that helps in your quests to buy something that you can plug in and use.
Paul McCall, Pres.
PDMNet Canopy Repair
772-564-6800
Thanks that is useful info in general, but unless I am missing what you are trying to tell me, this is good info for purchasing AP's.
I am wanting to buy old SM's not AP's. At this point I am more concerned with 2 things.
1. How do I know what AP I already have?
2. What SM's can I buy to work with these AP's?[/quote:1vceny94]