Controllerless Networks

We have a cluster of instant APs (105s) that I was trying to add some new iap 205s to. I upgraded the firmware on on the existing cluster and the new APs to 4.1.1.10. There is no DHCP server available so all the APs are using static IP addresses. I assigned IP, mask, gateway, and master to the new 205s via the setenv commands and was sure to save before rebooting (I can even see the IP information with a printenv before booting).

Of the 4 new APs, all configured on the same switch with the same switchport settings, only 1 connected properly to the existing virtual controller. The other three are all attempting to get an IP address via DHCP, despite being able to see the static IP information with a printenv, and then resorting to the default IP and not joining the controller. I've both rebooted the APs and purged/reconfigured multiple times.

I'm completely out of ideas, especially since one worked. Has anyone experienced anything like this, or know why the 205 AP would prefer DHCP over a statically assigned IP?

Please show us the output of Printenv and the bootup log for the IAP that is having the issue.  Double check your work with the article here:  http://community.arubanetworks.com/t5/Controller-less-WLANs/How-do-I-configure-a-static-IP-addreess-to-an-Instant-Access/ta-p/185590

Environment size: 308/65532 bytes
apboot> printenv
bootdelay=2
baudrate=9600
autoload=n
boardname=Springbank
servername=aruba-master
bootcmd=boot ap
autostart=yes
bootfile=armv7ns.ari
ethaddr=84:d4:7e:c0:5a:22
os_partition=1
ipaddr=172.28.28.33
netmask=255.255.255.0
gateway=172.28.28.1
master=172.28.28.3
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
stderr=serial
ethact=eth0

apboot> saveenv
Saving Environment to Flash...
Erasing flash...Writing to flash..................done

Booting OS partition 1
Checking image @ 0x1ef00000
Copying image from 0x1ef00000

Image is signed; verifying checksum... passed
Signer Cert OK
Policy Cert OK
RSA signature verified.
Uncompressing... done
[ 0.000000]
[ 0.000000] Aruba Networks
[ 0.000000] ArubaOS Version 6.4.2.6-4.1.1.10 (build 51810 / label #51810)
[ 0.000000] Built by p4build@crete.arubanetworks.com on 2015-09-23 at 00:11:51 PDT (gcc version 4.7.2)
[ 0.000000]
[ 0.000000] Flash variant: variant0
[ 0.000000] MPCORE found at 19020000, SCTLR 0x10c53c7f ACTLR 0x00000040 CPSR 0x600001d3 SPSR 0x1a08033f PRRR 0x000a81a8 NMRR 0x40e040e0
[ 0.000000] Memory: 128MB = 128MB total
[ 0.000000] Memory: 117672k/117672k available, 13400k reserved, 0K highmem
[ 0.052000] hw perfevents: enabled with ARMv7 Cortex-A9 PMU driver, 7 counters available
[ 5.310000] PMU: registered new PMU device of type 0
[ 5.816000] pci 0001:00:00.0: BAR 8: assigned [mem 0x08000000-0x080fffff]
[ 5.818000] pci 0001:01:00.0: BAR 0: assigned [mem 0x08000000-0x08007fff 64bit]
[ 5.820000] pci 0001:01:00.0: BAR 0: set to [mem 0x08000000-0x08007fff 64bit] (PCI address [0x8000000-0x8007fff]
[ 6.324000] pci 0002:00:00.0: BAR 8: assigned [mem 0x40000000-0x400fffff]
[ 6.326000] pci 0002:02:00.0: BAR 0: assigned [mem 0x40000000-0x40007fff 64bit]
[ 6.328000] pci 0002:02:00.0: BAR 0: set to [mem 0x40000000-0x40007fff 64bit] (PCI address [0x40000000-0x40007fff]
[ 6.674000] i2c-springbank: using remapped base c8914060
[ 6.676000] mpcore_wdt mpcore_wdt: enabling watchdog.
[ 6.680000] qspi_iproc qspi_iproc.1: 1-lane output, 3-byte address
[ 6.682000] m25p80 spi1.0: mx25l25635e (32768 Kbytes)
[ 6.684000] Creating 1 MTD partitions on "spi1.0":
[ 6.686000] 0x000000000000-0x000002000000 : "qspi"
[ 6.688000]
[ 6.688000] Starting Kernel SHA1 KAT ...Completed Kernel SHA1 KAT
[ 6.692000] Starting Kernel HMAC-SHA1 KAT ...Completed Kernel HMAC-SHA1 KAT
[ 6.706000] Starting Kernel DES KAT ...Completed Kernel DES KAT
[ 6.710000] Starting Kernel AES KAT ...Completed Kernel AES KAT
[ 6.712000]
Domain Name: instant.arubanetworks.com
No panic info available
Backup ENV.
Cfg len is 2.6k
Loading configuration file of length 2.6k...
wifi uplink not present...
extended ssid config detected...
Terminal access enabled...
factory default SSID detected...
extended ssid activate due to no valid ssid ...
[ 13.462000] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): bond0: link is not ready
[ 15.466000] bond0: link up (100FD)
[ 15.468000] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): bond0: link becomes ready
Mesh is DISABLED on this device.
Disabling wpa_supplicant for this paltform
[ 16.536000] AP xml model 81, num_radios 2 (jiffies 8268)
[ 16.538000] init_asap_mod: installation:0
[ 16.540000] radio 0: band 1 ant 0 max_ssid 16
[ 16.542000] radio 1: band 0 ant 0 max_ssid 16
[ 16.544000] election init: rand=e HZ=500
[ 16.546000] IAP client match init
notify asap_mod 3g no present...
Starting watchdog process...
Getting an IP address...
Dec 31 16:00:18 udhcpc[1538]: udhcpc (v0.9.9-pre) started
Dec 31 16:00:18 udhcpc[1538]: send_discover: pkt num 0, secs 0
Dec 31 16:00:18 udhcpc[1538]: Sending discover...
Dec 31 16:00:20 udhcpc[1538]: send_discover: pkt num 1, secs 512
Dec 31 16:00:20 udhcpc[1538]: Sending discover...
Dec 31 16:00:22 udhcpc[1538]: send_discover: pkt num 2, secs 1024
Dec 31 16:00:22 udhcpc[1538]: Sending discover...
Dec 31 16:00:24 udhcpc[1538]: No lease, forking to background.

You are not supposed to set a master on an IAP.  Type "setenv master" and press enter to remove that entry.

I removed the master, also turns out I put in the wrong gateway parameter. "gateway"" instead of "gatewayip".... awkward. Anyways works now, thank you!