UniFI AP - Need to re-adopt (but how)?

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Goosey

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#280290 6-Dec-2020 17:21

Hi all

Ive a UniFI UAP AC Pro (test date 12/24/16)

Until last night it was rocksteady and we found it was in a slow blue/white flash this morning

- decided to reset it and now its on the plain solid white colour

- Ive got a mac that was running the controller, but i think i then converted it to the unifi cloud access controller and I have an app on my mobile too

- app on my mobile shows my configuration that I used to have but cant 'find the device'

- the controller on the mac also cant find the device

What to do? Obviously Im missing a step here....

(currently running wifi off the VF ultra hub (which the unifi AP is directly connected to and ive also factory reset this today as I couldnt log into it.... which is a seperate problem ive faced over the years).

Welcome the thoughts and options....

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#2617107 6-Dec-2020 19:33

Update

- Updated the controller on the mac laptop

- when I did that, the mobile app came alive and told me the controller was online

- still cant discover the AP on either

- downloaded wifiMan and it also didnt seem to see it

- AP still has a solid white light

sbiddle

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#2617109 6-Dec-2020 19:36

Is the AP actually getting an IP address? Can you ping it? If you can ping it can you SSH into it (ubnt/ubnt after a factory reset)

kiwifidget

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#2617110 6-Dec-2020 19:38

Disclaimer: I am an absolute noobie.

FYI I did a UAP reset last weekend and at the stage you are at now I had to install the Unifi UAP discovery chrome extension on a windows pc.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=204413

You would then inform it to your own controller?

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

Goosey

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#2617131 6-Dec-2020 20:51

sbiddle:

Is the AP actually getting an IP address? Can you ping it? If you can ping it can you SSH into it (ubnt/ubnt after a factory reset)

The ultra hub lan status page doesn't appear to show any DHCP lease to it and Eth0 is the TV, Eth1 has no traffic at all, Eth 2 is a network switch I have.

The AP is directly connected to what I presume is Eth1 (via the POE injector).

- the light on the injector is on, could it be the problem?

@kiwifidget

As for the discover tool, already tried that.... nothing appears.

davidcole

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#2617137 6-Dec-2020 21:45

Can you ssh to the ap? It’s up address? You might be be able to re-adopt it from there. Set-inform http://controller up:8080/inform I think. Would pay to look that up. But it’s something like that.

Normally the same user/password you use to log on the controller

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Goosey

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#2617138 6-Dec-2020 21:51

Hey,

I have seen references on here to this and I just need to school up on SSH.....ultimately, Im a bit miffed I don't know the IP address of the AP on my network at the moment....just no sign of it!

Might have another look at this tomorrow night....

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sbiddle

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#2617184 7-Dec-2020 07:21

If the AP is not getting an IP address this is the very first issue you need to address. If it's not getting one it could be that the AP is dead, which is entirely possible since UBNT don't make the world's most reliable hardware.

If it's not getting a DHCP lease the next step would be to try the TFTP recovery method and reload the firmware.

raytaylor

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#2618289 8-Dec-2020 18:35

Reset it again

- Power up, wait 2 mins
- Hold reset button for 10 seconds
- Reboot cycle / light change should occur approx 2 seconds after releasing the reset button
- After 2 mins it should have booted back up and be assigned an ip address from your router's dhcp pool.

Log into your router and check the DHCP leases table for the mac address of the device. Its easy to find by sorting by longest remaining lease, or most distant lease expiry.

If it isnt

Once you have the ip address, use an SSH client such as Putty (windows) or an equivalant program for mac.

Use the SSH client to connect to the access point. When prompted for the username it is ubnt and password is ubnt

Run the command

upgrade http://dl.ui.com/unifi/firmware/BZ2/4.0.80.10875/BZ.ar7240.v4.0.80.10875.200111.2335.bin

The above is the URL for a UAP-LR. Get the correct url from the downloads section of the ubiquiti website. Note that the command uses http and not https.

It will download the latest firmware and install it. This takes approx 5 minutes and you will be kicked off the SSH session during the process.

When the unit allows you to reconnect the ssh client again, run the command

set-inform http://controllerip:8080/inform

Change controller to the ip address or dns address of the controller you wish to connect it to.

If the controller has already adopted the device, it should reprovision its settings.

If the controller has not already adopted the device, it should appear in the controller web gui as ready to adopt.

If it fails, you may need to delete the device from the controller, reset the AP and try the set-inform command again.

There are some older firmware versions that are too old to be adopted into a new version controller and so they need a manual firmware upgrade first.

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coffeebaron

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#2618316 8-Dec-2020 19:25

Adding to above, you may need to do a two step firmware upgrade. First to a 3.9 version, then to a 4 version or trial and error. I have found some very old firmware versions sometimes can't be updated directly to the newest firmware version.

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#2618323 8-Dec-2020 19:32

I just set up 3 in a house, the mobile app could find them but the windows controller couldn't -- so, I started by assigning a static IP to my laptop, then for each AP, I had to ssh into it with user/pass ubnt/ubnt and executed

set-inform http://[ip]:8080/inform - and instantly each one appeared in the list for adoption

Goosey

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#2624126 18-Dec-2020 22:27

Update

- slow progress, only just reading up on the tftp process and everyones suggestions above (thanks).

- when time permits, i'll climb up and reset it again (the cable slack allows me to pull it down so it can rest half way down the ladder).

- attempted to follow the first ssh command (the one that you copy the firmware download location), but was faced with invalid command... so I need to get the 'syntax' correct. (hahah is that the correct term still).

Remember my first main problem is, my unit aint getting a DHCP.... so potentially need to closely follow the reset steps...

(slow progress due to kids/life/job, but at least Mrs Goosey is hounding me to fix it and now realises life is much better with an AP vs bog standard isp router wifi).

Im Leaning towards offering beers or cash to someone for a quick fix, but ultimately its good to know & school up on this...

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#2624148 19-Dec-2020 00:02

Are you sure it's not getting dhcp, or is it just you don't know the address?

Have you tried the device discovery tool? It's a chrome add-on. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ubiquiti-device-discovery/hmpigflbjeapnknladcfphgkemopofig?hl=en

Make sure you press the Unifi Family button, otherwise nothing will show up.

coffeebaron

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#2624271 19-Dec-2020 10:52

Could be a bad cable, so powering up, but no data. Can you take AP down, plug in with new Ethernet cables whilst you troubleshoot and get it reprogrammed?

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Goosey

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#2624366 19-Dec-2020 15:38

coffeebaron: Could be a bad cable, so powering up, but no data. Can you take AP down, plug in with new Ethernet cables whilst you troubleshoot and get it reprogrammed?

was thinking to do that...Ive a spare 20m cable I can use from the garage (where router is), to somewhere nicer I can have a play.

I was also thinking of replacing the POE....given the issue started about the same time there was a lightening storm and the local community facebook page had reports of peoples tv's etc getting all ziggady.... which makes me think "the white lights on, but nobodys home".

Goosey

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#2624595 20-Dec-2020 13:21

UPDATE - still cant see the AP's IP address on my router...

- swapped out / used a temp lan cable to the AP

- reset the AP

- now its flashing white instead of solid white

- still no sign of the DHCP lease / assigned IP from my router (and nothing shows in chrome extentsions, or the controller or the 'wifiman app'.

- using the unifi IOS app... even manually scanning the QR code on the unit presents me with an error after trying to connect (cant connect etc).

starting to think its well bricked OR needs this TFTP recovery,

but im running a Mac Laptop... so cant directly connect the AP given I dont have a ethernet port.

Im wondering if this means I should just cut my time losses, mosey on down to PB tech and pick up a new one and then potentially see who on GZ wants the one I have for a nominal fee..

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