This looks like an HPE Aruba Instant 8.x configuration, managed by Central.
Looks like the AP is receiving the VC (Virtual controller) IP as it's IP from the DHCP server, or you configured the IP address of one of your APs as the virtual controller IP.
Make sure that the virtual controller IP is outside your DHCP scope, so it will never be assigned.
Keep your AP management in the native VLAN (untagged) on the switch port that connects to the uplink port of your AP (E0); stay away from the management VLAN setting (leave empty).
Make sure all APs are in the exact same firmware release (including build number). If there are only AP505s in the network, that firmware sync is done automatically, with different AP types (505 and 535) you would need different firmware files per AP type.
Make sure there is no additional security on your AP management network, like private VLAN, ACLs, IDS. The APs have to communicate between each other.
I think TAC has gone through these items already, but I would double-check.
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Herman Robers
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If you have urgent issues, always contact your HPE Aruba Networking partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check
https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact HPE Aruba Networking TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or HPE Aruba Networking.
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Original Message:
Sent: May 11, 2025 08:41 PM
From: Nilesh
Subject: AP535 Intermittently Fails to Join Exiting WiFi Network and VC
Background
We have an existing WiFi network consisting of 13xAP505s on version 8.10.0.16_92046 managed via Aruba Central and one of the AP505s is a local VC. These work fine, no issues.
Our plan is the replace the AP505s with AP535s.
Issue
When I connect one of the new AP535s to the network to join the existing wifi-cluster it intermittently enters into a boot loop. Sometime is joins the existing wifi-cluster just fine. Sometimes is takes between 1-6 hours for the AP535 to break out of the loop and join the wifi-cluster. Whens AP535 does join the wifi-cluster and i reboot it the same thing happens.
The DHCP server is on the local gateway, the FortiGate firewall. When I console to the AP535 I can see it gets a IP via DHCP successfully, and i varify this by checking the lease on the firewall which shows the APs MAC with the correct IP. However, on the AP console I also see the below messages with it is in a boot loop:
"Rebooting AP due to default-ip is denied in the network (VC-MAC VC-IP)"
"OPPS. someone else thinks he is the conductor too, beacon version 4 from VC-MAC VC-IP bond0"
Looks like even though DHCP IP assignment seems to work the AP still using its default-ip, and it try to elect itself as the VC, but gets a message that there is already a VC on the network.
When i reboot one of the AP505s it comes back online as expected without issues.
Ive logged this with support and spent a day on the call with an support engineer with no solution so far.
Any help or troubleshooting suggests would be greatly welcomes.