You can perform a remote WLC upgrade via the transfer download command. Here's a Cisco link on the WLC upgrade process via the web GUI and CLI command.
You can verify the current WLC version via the show sysinfo command.
(Cisco Controller) >show sysinfo
Manufacturer's Name.............................. Cisco Systems Inc.
Product Name..................................... Cisco Controller
Product Version.................................. 8.1.102.0
Bootloader Version............................... 1.0.20
Field Recovery Image Version..................... 7.6.101.1
Firmware Version................................. PIC 20.0
Build Type....................................... DATA + WPS
System Name...................................... WLC01
System Location..................................
System Contact...................................
System ObjectID.................................. 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1.1279
IP Address....................................... 172.27.17.6
IPv6 Address..................................... ::
Last Reset....................................... Power on reset
System Up Time................................... 0 days 2 hrs 18 mins 15 secs
System Timezone Location.........................
System Stats Realtime Interval................... 5
System Stats Normal Interval..................... 180
Configured Country............................... Multiple Countries:SG,US
Operating Environment............................ Commercial (0 to 40 C)
Internal Temp Alarm Limits....................... 0 to 65 C
Internal Temperature............................. +29 C
External Temperature............................. +33 C
Fan Status....................................... 3200 rpm
State of 802.11b Network......................... Enabled
State of 802.11a Network......................... Enabled
Number of WLANs.................................. 4
Number of Active Clients......................... 53
Burned-in MAC Address............................ 00:9E:1E:06:12:34
Maximum number of APs supported.................. 75
System Nas-Id.................................... WLC01
WLC MIC Certificate Types........................ SHA1/SHA2
Make sure there's network connectivity to the FTP server by using the ping command.
(Cisco Controller) >ping 172.27.5.25
Send count=3, Receive count=3 from 172.27.5.25
You can upload or download various files on a WLC such as image, config, certificate, etc. using the transfer command.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer ?
download Transfer a file to the switch.
encrypt Configures the switch to use (or not use) encrypt for config file transfers
upload Transfer a file from the switch.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download ?
certpassword Set a Certificate's private key password
datatype Set File Type.
filename Set Filename on Server.
mode Set transfer mode.
password Set Server Login Password.
path Set File Path on Server.
port Change Default Server Port.
serverip Set Server IP Address.
start Initiate download.
tftpMaxRetries Enter the tftp Packet Max Retries allowed between 1 and 254.
tftpPktTimeout Enter the tftp Packet Timeout in secs between 1 and 254.
username Set Server Login Username.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download mode ?
ftp Enter mode: ftp.
sftp Enter mode: sftp.
tftp Enter mode: tftp.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download mode ftp
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download username ?
<user> Set Server Login Username.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download username ftpuser
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download password ftpuser
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download datatype ?
code Download an executable image to the system.
config Download Configuration File.
device-profile Download an Device Profile file to the system.
eapcacert Download a eap ca certificate to the system.
eapdevcert Download a eap dev certificate to the system.
icon Download an executable image to the system.
image Download a web page logo to the system.
ipseccacert Download a IPSec ca certificate to the system.
ipsecdevcert Download a IPSec dev certificate to the system.
login-banner Download controller login banner. (Only Text file supported: Max 1500 bytes & 18 lines, Non printable characters not supported)
oui-update Download an OUI Update file to the system.
radius-avplist Download a Radius AVPs List file.
signature Download a signature file to the system.
webadmincert Download a certificate for web administration to the system.
webauthbundle Download a custom webauth bundle to the system.
webauthcert Download a web certificate for web portal to the system.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download datatype code
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download filename AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download path ?
[path] Enter directory path.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download path . // DOT (.) FOR MAIN DIRECTORY
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download serverip ?
<IP addr> Enter server IP addr.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download serverip 172.27.5.25
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download start
Mode............................................. FTP
Data Type........................................ Code
FTP Server IP.................................... 172.27.5.25
FTP Server Port.................................. 21
FTP Path......................................... ./
FTP Filename..................................... AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
FTP Username..................................... ftpuser
FTP Password..................................... *********
This may take some time.
Are you sure you want to start? (y/N) y
FTP Code transfer starting.
Below is a summary of the CLI commands issued on WLC:
transfer download mode ftp
transfer download username ftpuser
transfer download password ftpuser
transfer download datatype code
transfer download filename AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
transfer download path .
transfer download serverip 172.27.5.25
transfer download start
You can verify the current WLC version via the show sysinfo command.
(Cisco Controller) >show sysinfo
Manufacturer's Name.............................. Cisco Systems Inc.
Product Name..................................... Cisco Controller
Product Version.................................. 8.1.102.0
Bootloader Version............................... 1.0.20
Field Recovery Image Version..................... 7.6.101.1
Firmware Version................................. PIC 20.0
Build Type....................................... DATA + WPS
System Name...................................... WLC01
System Location..................................
System Contact...................................
System ObjectID.................................. 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1.1279
IP Address....................................... 172.27.17.6
IPv6 Address..................................... ::
Last Reset....................................... Power on reset
System Up Time................................... 0 days 2 hrs 18 mins 15 secs
System Timezone Location.........................
System Stats Realtime Interval................... 5
System Stats Normal Interval..................... 180
Configured Country............................... Multiple Countries:SG,US
Operating Environment............................ Commercial (0 to 40 C)
Internal Temp Alarm Limits....................... 0 to 65 C
Internal Temperature............................. +29 C
External Temperature............................. +33 C
Fan Status....................................... 3200 rpm
State of 802.11b Network......................... Enabled
State of 802.11a Network......................... Enabled
Number of WLANs.................................. 4
Number of Active Clients......................... 53
Burned-in MAC Address............................ 00:9E:1E:06:12:34
Maximum number of APs supported.................. 75
System Nas-Id.................................... WLC01
WLC MIC Certificate Types........................ SHA1/SHA2
Make sure there's network connectivity to the FTP server by using the ping command.
(Cisco Controller) >ping 172.27.5.25
Send count=3, Receive count=3 from 172.27.5.25
You can upload or download various files on a WLC such as image, config, certificate, etc. using the transfer command.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer ?
download Transfer a file to the switch.
encrypt Configures the switch to use (or not use) encrypt for config file transfers
upload Transfer a file from the switch.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download ?
certpassword Set a Certificate's private key password
datatype Set File Type.
filename Set Filename on Server.
mode Set transfer mode.
password Set Server Login Password.
path Set File Path on Server.
port Change Default Server Port.
serverip Set Server IP Address.
start Initiate download.
tftpMaxRetries Enter the tftp Packet Max Retries allowed between 1 and 254.
tftpPktTimeout Enter the tftp Packet Timeout in secs between 1 and 254.
username Set Server Login Username.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download mode ?
ftp Enter mode: ftp.
sftp Enter mode: sftp.
tftp Enter mode: tftp.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download mode ftp
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download username ?
<user> Set Server Login Username.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download username ftpuser
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download password ftpuser
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download datatype ?
code Download an executable image to the system.
config Download Configuration File.
device-profile Download an Device Profile file to the system.
eapcacert Download a eap ca certificate to the system.
eapdevcert Download a eap dev certificate to the system.
icon Download an executable image to the system.
image Download a web page logo to the system.
ipseccacert Download a IPSec ca certificate to the system.
ipsecdevcert Download a IPSec dev certificate to the system.
login-banner Download controller login banner. (Only Text file supported: Max 1500 bytes & 18 lines, Non printable characters not supported)
oui-update Download an OUI Update file to the system.
radius-avplist Download a Radius AVPs List file.
signature Download a signature file to the system.
webadmincert Download a certificate for web administration to the system.
webauthbundle Download a custom webauth bundle to the system.
webauthcert Download a web certificate for web portal to the system.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download datatype code
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download filename AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download path ?
[path] Enter directory path.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download path . // DOT (.) FOR MAIN DIRECTORY
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download serverip ?
<IP addr> Enter server IP addr.
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download serverip 172.27.5.25
(Cisco Controller) >transfer download start
Mode............................................. FTP
Data Type........................................ Code
FTP Server IP.................................... 172.27.5.25
FTP Server Port.................................. 21
FTP Path......................................... ./
FTP Filename..................................... AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
FTP Username..................................... ftpuser
FTP Password..................................... *********
This may take some time.
Are you sure you want to start? (y/N) y
FTP Code transfer starting.
Below is a summary of the CLI commands issued on WLC:
transfer download mode ftp
transfer download username ftpuser
transfer download password ftpuser
transfer download datatype code
transfer download filename AIR-CT2500-K9-8-2-130-0.aes
transfer download path .
transfer download serverip 172.27.5.25
transfer download start
