Cisco Catalyst Assurance User Guide, Release 2.3.7.x
Bias-Free Language
The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
For Catalyst Center, all information about device and client health is typically available from Cisco wireless controllers. Intelligent Capture
provides support for a direct communication link between Catalyst Center and access points (APs), so each of the APs can communicate with Catalyst Center directly. Using this channel, Catalyst Center can receive packet capture data, AP and client statistics, and spectrum data. With the direct communication link between
Catalyst Center and APs, Intelligent Capture allows you to access data from APs that is not available from wireless controllers.
Note
Intelligent Capture is only supported for APs in either local or FlexConnect mode.
Intelligent Capture is not supported in SDA deployments.
Supported Devices for Intelligent Capture
The following table lists the Cisco Wireless Controllers that support Intelligent Capture:
Table 1. Supported Cisco Wireless Controllers
Supported Cisco Wireless Controllers
Device
Minimum Supported Software Version
Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller
AireOS 8.8.125.0
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
AireOS 8.8.125.0
Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller
AireOS 8.8.125.0
The following table lists the Cisco Catalyst Wireless Controllers that support Intelligent Capture:
1 Spectrum Analysis is not supported on the following APs: Aironet 1540 AP, Aironet 1800 Series APs, Catalyst 9105 AP.
2 Data Packet Capture and Full Packet Capture is only supported on Aironet 4800 APs and Catalyst 9130 AP, Catalyst 9136 AP,
and Catalyst 9166 AP.
Intelligent Capture Best Practices
The following are best practices to ensure Intelligent Capture functions optimally in Catalyst Center:
After a new wireless controller device is added to Catalyst Center, disable any Intelligent Capture global settings, and then re-enable those settings so that they will be configured on the
new wireless controller.
Before deleting a wireless controller device from Catalyst Center, disable all Intelligent Capture settings.
Before upgrading any of managed wireless controllers or reimaging Catalyst Center, disable all Intelligent Capture settings, and then re-enable them after completing the upgrade.
How to Configure and Use Intelligent Capture
Onboarding Packet Capture for a Client Device
About Onboarding Packet Capture for a Client Device
Onboarding Packet Capture sessions capture packets that the client device uses to join a wireless network, such as (802.11
management frames, DHCP, and EAP packets), and collects the client’s RF statistics in 5-second samples. The data is displayed
in the Client 360 > Intelligent Capture window. The session can be started immediately or scheduled to run later. The default duration of the session is 30 minutes
and can be set up to eight hours. By default, Onboarding Packet Capture is enabled on the last client-connected wireless controller.
You can select up to three wireless controllers to cover the client roaming scenario.
Note
"Client Schedule Capture" is now rebranded as “Onboarding Packet Capture”. While streamlining this nomenclature, you may see
the former and rebranded names used in different collaterals. However, "Client Schedule Capture" and "Onboarding Packet Capture"
refer to the same feature.
“Live Capture”, "Scheduled Capture", and "Onboarding Packet Capture" all refer to the same feature. These names are used interchangeably
throughout different collateral.
Onboarding Packet Capture Session Limitations
Onboarding Packet Capture sessions have the following limitations:
There are a total of 16 time slots allocated for capture sessions (live and scheduled), where each client in a session uses
one time slot and each client can be enabled on up to three wireless controllers.
If these maximum values are exceeded, for example, you try to start a seventeenth live capture session, an error message is
displayed. To schedule another capture session when the maximum time-slot limit is met, you can either stop a running capture
session or wait for a capture session to complete. Then you can start a new capture session.
Note
The 16-time-slot limit is enforced by the wireless controller.
When capture sessions are configured on Catalyst Center, any live or scheduled capture sessions that Catalyst Center is not aware of (such as partial packet capture sessions that were directly configured on the wireless controller) are removed.
A maximum of 100 packets involved in onboarding events can be captured during the time period surrounding the event.
There is a 3.5-GB limit on the total size of all scheduled onboarding packet files that reside on Catalyst Center. If the limit is exceeded, packet files are removed, starting with the oldest, until the total size falls below the 3.5-GB
limit. Additionally, any onboarding packet files that are more than 14 days old are removed, even if the total size limit
has not been reached.
About Client Statistics
Onboarding Packet Capture sessions are global settings that enable supported APs to collect client statistics over 5-second
intervals.
Client statistics are also collected over 30-second intervals when AP Statistics is enabled for the AP to which the client
is connected.
When client statistics are collected, they are displayed on the four RF statistic charts on the Client 360 > Intelligent Capture window.
Run a Live Onboarding Packet Capture Session for a Client Device
Use this procedure to enable a live capture session for a specific client device and view data packets for the onboarding
events and RF statistics.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health.
The Overall health dashboard is displayed.
Step 2
Click the Client Health tab.
The Client Health window appears.
Step 3
Open the Client 360 window of a specific client by doing one of the following:
In the Client Devices table, click the hyperlinked identifier or the MAC address of the device.
In the Search field, enter one of the following: user ID (authenticated through Cisco ISE), IP address, or MAC address.
A 360° view of the client device appears.
Step 4
In the Client 360 window, click Intelligent Capture.
The Intelligent Capture: Client Device window appears with the following information:
Use the timeline slider for the following functionality:
Timeline Slider
Item
Description
1 hour drop-down list
Click the drop-down list and select a duration to set the range of the timeline. Options are 1 hour, 3 hours, and 5 hours. Default is 1 hour.
Timeline Slider
The timeline slider determines the time window of all data displayed. A line chart of onboarding events is displayed for the
results of a live capture. Green indicates onboarding events and red indicates anomaly events.
To adjust the timeline to a different time window, click the < and > buttons to the desired time window.
Note
The timeline can display data from up to two weeks in the past.
For more customization of the timeline range, click and drag the boundary lines.
Step 6
To perform a live capture session, do the following:
Click Start Live Capture at the top-right corner to start a live capture session.
During a live capture session, data packets for the Onboarding Events and RF Statistics dashlets are collected.
Click Stop Live Capture to stop the live capture session.
View the running live capture sessions in the Intelligent Capture Settings window for clients.
Step 7
Use the Onboarding Events dashlet to view events that are associated with establishing a network connection:
Onboarding Events Dashlet
Item
Description
All and filter
Allows you to filter the onboarding events. Options are:
All: Displays all events. This is the default.
: Filters for only anomaly events that have packets.
Note
If the client has issues joining the network, the word "PCAP" is displayed in red beside the specific event.
If the client has no issues joining the network, the word "PCAP" is displayed in gray beside the specific event.
Export PCAP
You can download the packets for a range of specified events:
Click Export PCAP.
Specify the first and last events that you want to include in the PCAP.
Click Download PCAP to start the download.
Note
Since heuristics are used to determine which packets belong to an event, packets from one minute before the first event and
one minute after the last event are included in the download. This ensures that all relevant packets are in the downloaded
PCAP.
Each export is limited to the first 2000 packets, starting from the oldest timestamp.
List of Onboarding, Incomplete, and Anomaly Events
View the list onboarding, incomplete, and anomaly events in chronological order. Events are color-coded to indicate the following:
: Successful onboarding event.
: Incomplete event.
: Anomaly event.
Note
An event with the word "PCAP" displayed beside it indicates that data packets for this event have been captured for download
or analysis.
You can click the parent event group to expand it and view the individual events for that group.
Event Details
You can click an event group or individual event to view the following sections with further details:
Client Location: Displays the map of the client location and the client's movement during the event.
Auto Packet Analyzer: This section appears if a live capture, scheduled capture, or anomaly capture session has captured packets for the event.
The word "PCAP" that displays next to the event indicates that the event has captured packets.
The Auto Packet Analyzer section displays a graph with the following information:
The packets (up to 100) surrounding the event are divided into two groups. Gray sections indicate packets that precede the
start of an onboarding session. White sections indicate packets in the onboarding session.
Deauthentication packets and unexpected patterns of packets are represented by red triangles. These are potentially significant
packets that can degrade the client's onboarding experiences.
You can download the packets by clicking Download Packets for further analysis.
Packet (from client or from AP)
Onboard packet stage identifier
Interpacket gap (ms)
RSSI (dBm) per packet
Associated AP
RF Statistics: Displays charts with the RF statistic data for the 10-minute interval surrounding the event.
The RF statistic data is composed of RSSI and SNR measurements in decibels, Rx average data rate and Rx last data rate, Tx
packets and Rx packets, and Tx packet retry.
Note
If Anomaly Capture is enabled, the packets for anomaly events are captured even if a live or scheduled capture is not running.
Step 8
Use the Client Location dashlet to view the a floor map with the following information:
The location of the client and APs on the floor.
Heatmap with the color intensity representing the strength of the coverage.
The real-time location of the client on the floor map. If the client moves to another location, its movement is displayed.
Client trail tracking with color-coded display of connectivity using the RF statistics: RSSI, SNR, data rate, throughput,
and packet drop rate.
The followimg colors on the map indicates the client's health:
: Good : Fair : Poor
The tracking of the client for a one-minute intervals surrounding the time of the selected onboarding event.
The replay, stop and start controls below the map can be used to control the viewing.
Note
The Client Location feature requires that CMX is integrated with Catalyst Center. For details, see the Integrate Cisco CMX for Wireless Maps chapter.
Step 9
Use the RF Statistics dashlet to view detailed RF information.
Four charts that display AP client statistics. For more information, see About Client Statistics. The color-coded data contains the following information:
RSSI and SNR measurements in decibels.
Rx average data rate (from the past 5 seconds) and Rx last data rate.
Tx packets and Rx packets.
Tx packet retry.
You can do the following in the charts:
Hover your cursor over the chart to see the statistics for a particular time.
Click and drag within the chart to zoom in on a time period. To change the view to the default, click the icon.
Schedule an Onboarding Packet Capture Session for a Client Device
You can schedule an onboarding packet capture session for a client device.
Onboarding Packet Capture sessions collect the following data:
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
The Onboarding Packet Capture window is displayed.
Step 2
Click + Schedule Client Capture.
Note
If an existing Onboarding Packet Capture task is uncompleted, attempting to start a new packet capture session on the same
wireless controllers fails because of the conflicting, uncompleted task. To start a new task, either wait for the existing task to complete or
discard it.
Step 3
In the Schedule Client Captureslide-in pane, do the following:
From the Select client devices drop-down list, choose the client devices.
From the Duration drop-down list, choose the time duration of the Onboarding Packet Capture session.
The default duration is 30 minutes.
Check the check boxes next to the wireless controllers that you want to enable Onboarding Packet Capture on.
You can choose up to three wireless controllers.
Click Next.
All Onboarding Packet Capture sessions are displayed on the Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings window in the Onboarding Packet Capture tab.
Step 4
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 5
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Note
If the default task name includes "Scheduled Capture", this term refers to Onboarding Packet Capture.
Step 6
Click Apply.
Step 7
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 8
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Note
Based on the duration of the task, Catalyst Center automatically runs enable and disable tasks for the Onboarding Packet Capture session. To view the configuration preview
of the enable or disable tasks, go to the Tasks window, open the task, and click View Work Item Details. If you don't view the configuration preview before the task completes, the option to preview will no longer be available.
Stop In-Progress Onboarding Packet Capture Sessions on a Client Device
You can stop an in-progress Onboarding Packet Capture session on a client device.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
The Onboarding Packet Capture window is displayed.
Step 2
Under In-progress Captures, check the check boxes next to the wireless controllers that you want to stop running Onboarding Packet Capture sessions on.
"Client Data Packet Capture" is now rebranded as “Full Packet Capture”. While streamlining this nomenclature, you may see
the former and rebranded names used in different collaterals. However, "Client Data Packet Capture" and "Full Packet Capture"
refer to the same feature.
Full Packet Capture Limitations
Full Packet Capture has the following limitations:
Full Packet Capture is supported only on Cisco Aironet 4800 APs and Cisco Catalyst 9130, 9136, and 9166 APs. If Full Packet
Capture is enabled and the client roams to an AP that does not support it, full packet capture stops until the client reconnects
to an AP that supports full packet capture.
Only one Full Packet Capture session can run at a time.
As for all Intelligent Capture features, clocks must be synchronized between Catalyst Center and the Cisco Wireless Controller for Full Packet Capture to work. Ensure that the wireless controller is connected to a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server.
Each Full Packet Capture session can capture up to 1 GB of rolling data. The 1 GB of data is broken into ten 100-MB files
for faster downloads.
Run a Full Packet Capture Session on a Client Device
You can run a Full Packet Capture session on a client device.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health.
The Overall health dashboard is displayed.
Step 2
Click the Client Health tab.
The Client Health window is displayed.
Step 3
Open the Client 360 window of a specific client by doing one of the following:
In the Client Devices table, click the hyperlinked identifier or the MAC address of the device.
In the Search field, enter one of the following: user ID (authenticated through Cisco ISE), IP address, or MAC address.
A 360° view of the client device is displayed.
Step 4
In the Client 360 window, click Intelligent Capture.
The Intelligent Capture:Client Device window is displayed.
Use the timeline slider for the following functionality:
1 hour drop-down list: Click the drop-down list and select a duration to set the range of the timeline. Options are 1 hour, 3 hours, and 5 hours. The default is 1 hour.
Timeline Slider: The timeline slider determines the time window of all data displayed. To adjust the timeline to a different time window,
click the < and > buttons to the desired time window. For more customization of the timeline range, click and drag the boundary lines.
Note
The timeline can display data from up to two weeks in the past.
Step 6
Click Run Packet Capture.
The Run a Data Packet Captureslide-in pane is displayed, and the Onboarding Packet Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 7
In the Run a Data Packet Captureslide-in pane, click the Full Packet Capture tab.
Note
If an existing Full Packet Capture task is uncompleted, attempting to start a new packet capture session on the same wireless controllers fails because of the conflicting, uncompleted task. To start a new task, either wait for the existing task to complete or
discard it.
Step 8
From the Duration drop-down list, choose the time duration of the packet capture.
The default duration is 30 minutes.
Step 9
Check the check boxes next to the wireless controllers that you want to enable Full Packet Capture on.
You can choose up to three wireless controllers.
Step 10
Click Next.
Note
All Full Packet Capture sessions are displayed under Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings > Full Packet Capture.
When a packet capture session is configured on Catalyst Center, any packet capture session that Catalyst Center is not aware of is removed (such as Full Packet Capture sessions that were directly configured on the wireless controller).
Step 11
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 12
In the Task Name field, modify the task name if necessary.
Step 13
Click Apply.
Step 14
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 15
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Note
Based on the duration of the task, Catalyst Center automatically runs enable and disable tasks for the Full Packet Capture session. To view the configuration preview of the
enable or disable tasks, go to the Tasks window, open the task, and click View Work Item Details. If you don't view the configuration preview before the task completes, the option to preview will no longer be available.
Step 16
To download PCAP files from completed Full Packet Capture and OTA Packet Capture sessions, on the Intelligent Capture:Client Device window, click Download.
You can download files containing information on wireless data, which includes 802.11 files for packets moving between the
AP and the client.
Note
Data packet captures are divided into separate 100-MB files. There is a 4-GB limit on the total size of all data packet capture
files that reside on Catalyst Center. If the limit is exceeded, packet files are removed, starting with the oldest, until the total size falls below the 4-GB
limit. Additionally, any data packet capture files that are more than 14 days old are removed, even if the total size limit
has not been reached.
View Full Packet Capture History
Use this procedure to view the history of the full packet capture sessions, such as the time the first packet and the last
data packet was captured, the total size of the captured data packets, and the type of packet.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
The Onboarding Packet Capture window is displayed.
Step 2
Click the Full Packet Capture tab.
The Full Packet Capture window is displayed.
Step 3
Use the Intelligent Capture Settings - Full Packet Capture window to view the following information:
Option
Description
Identifier
Displays the client's user ID or hostname. Click the user ID or hostname to open the Intelligent Capture: Client Device window.
MAC Address
Displays the MAC address of the client device.
Wireless Controller
Displays the name of the wireless controller.
First Packet Time
Displays the time the first data packet was captured.
Last Packet Time
Displays the time the last data packet was captured.
Total Size
Displays the total size of the captured data.
Currently Running
Displays whether the data packet capture is currently running.
Type of Packet
Displays the type of packet, for example, Wired or Wireless.
Duration
Displays the duration of the packet capture.
Last Start Time
Displays the last started time of the packet capture.
Configuration Status
Displays the configuration status of the devices.
OTA Sniffer Capture for a Wi-Fi Band and Channel
About OTA Sniffer Capture for a Wi-Fi Band and Channel
Catalyst Center allows you to enable OTA Sniffer Capture on a specific radio and bandwidth channel. When it's enabled, all Wi-Fi data packets
traveling on the radio and bandwidth channel are captured for download. You can enable up to two APs, where each AP performs
radio sniffing on one radio, or enable only one AP to perform network sniffing.
Run an OTA Sniffer Capture Session on a Wi-Fi Band and Channel
You can run an OTA Sniffer Capture session on a Wi-Fi band and channel.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health
The Overall health dashboard is displayed.
Step 2
Click the Client Health tab.
The Client Health window is displayed.
Step 3
Open the Client 360 window of a specific client by doing one of the following:
In the Client Devices table, click the hyperlinked identifier or the MAC address of the device.
In the Search field, enter one of the following: user ID (authenticated through Cisco ISE), IP address, or MAC address.
Step 4
In the Client 360 window, click Intelligent Capture.
The Intelligent Capture:Client Device window is displayed.
Use the timeline slider for the following functionality:
1 hour drop-down list: Click the drop-down list and select a duration to set the range of the timeline. Options are 1 hour, 3 hours, and 5 hours. The default is 1 hour.
Timeline Slider: The timeline slider determines the time window of all data displayed. To adjust the timeline to a different time window,
click the < and > buttons to the desired time window. For more customization of the timeline range, click and drag the boundary lines.
Note
The timeline can display data from up to two weeks in the past.
Step 6
Click Run Packet Capture.
The Client Packet Captureslide-in pane is displayed, and the Onboarding Packet Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 7
In the Client Packet Captureslide-in pane, click the OTA Sniffer tab.
The floor map view is displayed by default.
Step 8
Choose which APs to run radio or AP sniffing on by doing one the of the following:
On the floor map, click the APs.
Click the list icon in the view switcher, and then check the check boxes next to the APs.
Catalyst Center displays only the radios that the OTA Sniffer supports.
Note
The OTA Sniffer captures Wi-Fi packets on a specific AP radio's band and channel. The same AP radio can't be reused for OTA
if it was previously used for OTA in the last 15 minutes. To re-enable OTA on the same AP radio, you must wait until the Device 360 window for that AP radio displays new client-serving data.
Step 9
Click Next.
Step 10
Choose a band, radio, channel width, and channel from the respective drop-down lists.
Note
For APs that support dual-radios, run the OTA sniffer data packet capture using either the primary or secondary radio, as
follows:
When dual-radio mode is disabled on the AP, use the primary radio to do the data packet capture.
When dual-radio mode is enabled on the AP, use the secondary radio to do the data packet capture.
Step 11
Click Next.
Step 12
If a Warning dialog box about changing radio modes and losing client connectivity displays, click OK to acknowledge and continue.
Step 13
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 14
In the Task Name field, modify the task name if necessary.
Step 15
Click Apply.
Step 16
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 17
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When reviewing the device configurations under Configuration to be Deployed, the configured destination IP address is ignored at the device level. For example, in the following figure, you can see
the destination IP address is configured as 192.0.2.1. Instead of sending the packet data to the destination IP address, it
is sent to Catalyst Center.
Do one of the following:
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Note
All OTA Sniffer Capture sessions are displayed under Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings > OTA Sniffer. OTA Sniffer data captures are divided into separate 500-MB files. There is a 15-GB limit on the total size of all OTA Sniffer
Capture files that reside on Catalyst Center. If the limit is exceeded, packet files are removed, starting with the oldest, until the total size falls below the 15-GB
limit. Additionally, any OTA sniffer capture files that are more than 24 hours old are removed, even if the total size limit
has not been reached.
Because the OTA Sniffer Capture duration is 15 minutes, Catalyst Center automatically runs enable and disable tasks. To view the configuration preview of the enable or disable tasks, go to the
Tasks window, open the task, and click View Work Item Details. If you don't view the configuration preview before the task completes, the option to preview will no longer be available.
Download PCAP Files from a Completed OTA Sniffer Capture Session
You can download the PCAP files from a completed OTA Sniffer Capture session from one of the following windows:
Device 360: When you download the PCAP files from the Device 360 window, only the data from the completed OTA Sniffer Capture sessions for that specific device are downloaded.
Client 360: When you download the PCAP files from the Client 360 window, the data from both the completed Full Packet Capture and OTA Sniffer Capture sessions for that specific client are
downloaded.
Intelligent Capture Settings: Under the OTA Sniffer Capture > Completed Captures tabs on the Intelligent Capture Settings window, only the data of selected APs from the completed OTA Sniffer Capture sessions are downloaded.
The following procedure shows you how to download the PCAP files from the Intelligent Capture Settings window.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the OTA Sniffer Capture tab.
On the OTA Sniffer Capture window, the In-progress Captures tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Click the Completed Captures tab.
The Completed Captures table lists the completed OTA Sniffer Captures sessions.
Step 4
Under the Download column, click the down arrow icon corresponding to the relevant completed capture session to download its PCAP files.
The data packet files contain information on wireless data, which includes 802.11 files for packets moving between the AP
and the client.
Note
Data packet captures are divided into separate 100-MB files. There is a 4-GB limit on the total size of all data packet capture
files that reside on Catalyst Center. If the limit is exceeded, packet files are removed, starting with the oldest, until
the total size falls below the 4-GB limit. Additionally, any data packet capture files that are more than 14 days old are
removed, even if the total size limit has not been reached.
AP Statistics Capture for APs and Wireless Controllers
About AP Statistics Capture for APs and Wireless Controllers
The Intelligent Capture feature allows you to enable or disable AP Statistics Capture on specific APs and capable wireless controllers. When it's enabled, the following data is captured:
AP radio and WLAN statistics, which are displayed in the RF Statistics tab of the Device 360 > Intelligent Capture window.
AP Client statistics (30-second samples), which are displayed in the RF Statistics area of the Client 360 > Intelligent Capture window for all clients associated with the selected APs.
Enable or Disable AP Statistics Capture on a Specific AP
You can enable and manage one or more APs to capture AP Statistics data, including AP radio statistics, WLAN statistics, and
AP Client statistics. Catalyst Center can support up to 1000 APs for AP Statistics Capture.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Under Configure AP Enablement, click Specific - select specific APs and enable and then click Get Started.
The left pane displays the left tree hierarchy, and the right pane displays the default view because no floor is selected.
Step 4
In the left pane, expand Global and drill down to the site > building > floor.
In the right pane, the Disabled APs tab is selected, and a list of disabled APs on the selected floor is displayed.
Note
If you want to enable or disable AP Statisitics Capture on all APs managed by a wireless controller and the Global - enable or disable capable WLCs radio button is dimmed, you must first disable this feature on all enabled APs listed under the Enabled APs tab.
Step 5
Do one of the following:
To enable AP Statistics Capture on specific APs, proceed to Step 6.
To disable AP Statistics Capture on specific APs, click the Enabled APs tab and proceed to Step 6.
Step 6
Check the check boxes next to the APs that you want to enable or disable AP Statistics Capture on.
Step 7
Do one of the following:
To enable AP Statistics Capture on the selected APs, click Enable.
To disable AP Statistics Capture on the selected APs, click Disable.
Step 8
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 9
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Step 10
Click Apply.
Step 11
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 12
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Enable or Disable AP Statistics Capture on a Wireless Controller
You can enable or disable AP Statistics Capture on capable wireless controllers. You can enable up to three wireless controllers. When this feature is enabled, all APs managed by the wireless controller capture AP Statistics data, including AP radio statistics, WLAN statistics, and AP Client statistics.
Catalyst Center can support up to 1000 APs for AP Statistics Capture.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Under Configure AP Enablement, click Global - enable or disable capable WLCs and then click Get Started.
Step 4
In the Warning dialog box, click Yes to continue.
Note
If you want to enable or disable AP Statistics Capture on specific APs and the Specific - select specific APs and enable radio button is dimmed, you must first disable this feature on all enabled wireless controllers.
The AP Stats Capture tab is selected, and the table lists capable wireless controllers. Under the Configuration Status column, one of the following statuses is displayed for each wireless controller:
Success: Catalyst Center successfully enabled AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller.
Not Configured: Catalyst Center has not enabled AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller.
In Progress: Catalyst Center is enabling AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller.
Failed: Catalyst Center failed to enabled AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller because the wireless controller didn't accept the configuration.
Tip
If the Configuration Status is Failed, disable AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller and then re-enable it on the wireless controller.
Unknown: Catalyst Center enabled AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller, but Catalyst Center doesn't know the device status.
Tip
If the Configuration Status is Unknown, disable AP Statistics Capture on the wireless controller and then re-enable it on the wireless controller.
Step 5
Check the check boxes next to the wireless controllers that you want to enable or disable AP Statistics Capture on.
Step 6
Do one of the following:
To enable AP Statistics Capture on all APs managed by wireless controllers, click Enable.
To disable AP Statistics Capture on all APs managed by wireless controllers, click Disable.
Step 7
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 8
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Step 9
Click Apply.
Step 10
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 11
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
View Incompatible APs for AP Statistics Capture
You can view incompatible APs for AP Statistics Capture only when you choose Specific - select specific APs and enable for the type of AP enablement.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Under Configure AP Enablement, click Specific - select specific APs and enable and then click Get Started.
The left pane displays the left tree hierarchy, and the right pane displays the default view because no floor is selected.
Step 4
In the left pane, expand Global and drill down to the site > building > floor.
In the right pane, the Disabled APs tab is selected, and a list of disabled APs on the selected floor is displayed.
Step 5
Click the Not-Ready APs tab.
Note
Incompatible APs have the following conditions:
The operation mode is not set to local or FlexConnect.
The OS release that is installed on the AP is not compatible. The OS release must be MR1 or later.
View RF Statistics of an AP
You can view RF statistics of a specific AP using the following procedure.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health.
The Overall health dashboard is displayed.
Step 2
Click the Network Health tab.
The Network Health window is displayed.
Step 3
Do one of the following:
From the Network Devices dashlet, click the device name (hyperlinked identifier) for the AP to view the details for the AP.
In the Search field (located at the top-right corner), enter the device name, IP address, or MAC address.
A 360° view of the AP is displayed.
Step 4
In the Device 360 window, click Intelligent Capture at the top-right corner.
The Intelligent Capture:AP Name window is displayed.
Use the timeline to view the RF statistics for a given time and specify the scope of the data:
Timeline Slider
Item
Description
1 hour drop-down list
Click the drop-down list and choose a duration to set the range of the timeline. Options are 1 hour (the default), 3 hours, and 5 hours.
Timeline Slider
The timeline slider determines the time window of all data displayed. The timeline slider is color-coded to display the health
of the AP. You can hover your cursor at a specific time to see details such as the device health score, system resources,
and data plane.
To adjust the timeline to a different time window, click the < and > buttons to the desired time window.
For more customization of the timeline range, click and drag the boundary lines.
Step 7
Use the radio frequency selector under the timeline to filter the data in the dashlets based on the frequency bands.
Click the drop-down list and choose Radio 0 (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz), Radio 1 (5 GHz), or Radio 2 (6 GHz) (depending on the number of radios supported).
Step 8
Use the dashlets to view the RF statistics details:
Note
You can do the following in the charts that are displayed in the dashlets:
Hover your cursor over the charts to view details.
Click and drag within the chart to zoom in on a period. To change the view to the default, click .
Click the color-coded data types below the chart to disable or enable the data type that is displayed in the chart.
Dashlets
Description
Clients dashlet
Displays the number of clients using the AP. The data source is from the AP WLAN statistics.
Top Clients with Tx Failed Packets by SSID dashlet
Displays the list of SSIDs in the table. The data source for the table is from the AP WLAN statistics. The data source for
the bar chart is from AP client statistics.
Choose an SSID to see the top clients with transmit failed packets for that SSID.
Channel Utilization dashlet
Displays the channel utilization percentage used by the AP and other wireless and non-wireless devices. The data source for
the bar chart is from AP Radio Statistics.
Channel Utilization by this Radio dashlet
Displays the current channel utilization percentage used by the AP and a list of SSIDs, the number of clients connected to
it, and the number of packets sent or received over the last 15 minutes for its clients.
The data source for the table is from the AP WLAN statistics. The data source for the circle chart is from AP radio statistics.
Frame Count dashlet
Displays the number of management and data frames. The data source is from the AP radio statistics.
Frame Errors dashlet
Displays the number of transmit and receive errors. The data source is from the AP radio statistics.
Tx Power and Noise Floor dashlet
Displays the transmit power and noise floor. The data source is from the AP radio statistics.
Multicast/Broadcast Counter dashlet
Displays the multicast and broadcast counts for each SSID. The data source is from the AP WLAN statistics.
Anomaly Capture for APs and Wireless Controllers
About Anomaly Capture for APs and Wireless Controllers
The Intelligent Capture feature allows you to enable or disable Anomaly Capture on a specific AP or wireless controller. When it's enabled, all anomaly onboarding events for all clients that are associated with the selected APs are captured
for download or display.
AP Capture Limitation
There is a 1.05-GB limit on the total size of all anomaly triggered packet files that reside on Catalyst Center. If the limit is exceeded, packet files are removed, starting with the oldest, until the total size falls below the 1.05-GB
limit.
Enable or Disable Anomaly Capture on a Specific AP
You can enable and manage one or more APs to capture anomaly onboarding events of all clients that are associated with one
or more APs. Enabling Anomaly Capture ensures that all anomaly onboarding events for all clients associated with the selected
APs are captured for download and display. Disabling Anomaly Capture ensures that all anomaly onboarding events for all clients
associated with the selected APs are not captured for download and display.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Click the Anomaly Capture tab.
Step 4
Under Configure AP Enablement, click the Specific - select specific APs and enable and then click Get Started.
The left pane displays the left tree hierarchy, and the right pane displays the default view because no floor is selected.
Note
If you want to enable or disable Anomaly Capture on all APs managed by a wireless controller and the Global - enable or disable capable WLCs radio button is dimmed, you must first disable this feature on all enabled APs listed under the Enabled APs tab.
Step 5
In the left pane, expand Global and drill down to the site > building > floor.
In the right pane, the Disabled APs tab is selected, and a list of disabled APs on the selected floor is displayed.
Note
If a previous attempt to enable the AP failed, an error message is displayed in the Config Status column.
Step 6
Do one of the following:
To enable Anomaly Capture on specific APs, proceed to Step 7.
To disable Anomaly Capture on specific APs, click the Enabled APs tab and then proceed to Step 7.
Step 7
Check the check boxes next to the APs that you want to enable or disable Anomaly Capture on.
Step 8
Do one of the following:
To enable Anomaly Capture on the selected APs, click Enable.
To disable Anomaly Capture on the selected APs, click Disable.
Step 9
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 10
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Step 11
Click Apply.
Step 12
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 13
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Enable or Disable Anomaly Capture on a Wireless Controller
You can enable or disable Anomaly Capture on capable wireless controllers, and you can enable up to three wireless controllers. Enabling Anomaly Capture ensures that all anomaly events of clients associated with APs managed by the wireless controller are captured for download and display. Disabling Anomaly Capture ensures that all anomaly onboarding events of clients associated
with APs managed by the wireless controller are not captured for download and display.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Click the Anomaly Capture tab.
Step 4
Under Configure AP Enablement, click Global - enable or disable capable WLCs and then click Get Started.
Step 5
In the Warning dialog box, click Yes to continue.
Note
If you want to enable or disable Anomaly Capture on specific APs and the Specific - select specific APs and enable radio button is dimmed, you must first disable this feature on all enabled wireless controllers.
The Anomaly Capture tab is selected, and the table lists capable wireless controllers. Under the Configuration Status column, one of the following statuses is displayed for each wireless controller:
Success: Catalyst Center successfully enabled Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller.
Not Configured: Catalyst Center has not enabled Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller.
In Progress: Catalyst Center is enabling Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller.
Failed: Catalyst Center failed to enabled Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller because the wireless controller didn't accept the configuration.
Tip
If the Configuration Status is Failed, disable Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller and then re-enable it on the wireless controller.
Unknown: Catalyst Center enabled Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller, but Catalyst Center doesn't know the device status.
Tip
If the Configuration Status is Unknown, disable Anomaly Capture on the wireless controller and then re-enable it on the wireless controller.
Step 6
Check the check boxes next to the wireless controllers that you want to enable or disable Anomaly Capture on.
Step 7
Do one of the following:
To enable Anomaly Capture on all APs managed by the selected wireless controllers, click Enable.
If the Warning dialog box (about not being able to make any further changes until the AP enablement is complete) displays, click Yes to continue.
To disable Anomaly Capture on all APs managed by the selected wireless controllers, click Disable.
Step 8
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 9
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Step 10
Click Apply.
Step 11
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 12
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
View Incompatible and Supported APs for Anomaly Capture
You can view incompatible and supported APs for Anomaly Capture only when you choose Specific - select specific APs and enable for the type of AP enablement.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Intelligent Capture Settings.
Step 2
On the Intelligent Capture Settings window, click the Access Point tab.
On the Access Point window, the AP Stats Capture tab is selected by default.
Step 3
Click the Anomaly Capture tab.
Step 4
Under Configure AP Enablement, click the Specific - select specific APs and enable and then click Get Started.
The left pane displays the left tree hierarchy, and the right pane displays the default view because no floor is selected.
Step 5
In the left pane, expand Global and drill down to the site > building > floor.
In the right pane, the Disabled APs tab is selected and a list of disabled APs on the selected floor is displayed.
Step 6
To view incompatible APs for Anomaly Capture, click the Not-Ready APs tab.
Note
Incompatible APs have the following conditions:
The operation mode is not set to local or FlexConnect.
The OS release that is installed on the AP is not compatible. The OS release must be MR1 or later.
Step 7
To display the list of APs that support Intelligent Capture, click the information icon next to the Not-Ready APs tab.
Spectrum Analysis for APs
About Cisco AP Functionality During Spectrum Analysis
The Cisco Aironet 2800 Series, 3800 Series, and 4800 Series Access Points (APs) have dual band radios with flexible radio
assignment (FRA) in slot 0. This FRA radio operates on 2.4 GHz, but can be assigned to operate on 5 GHz. Its mode can be changed
to differ from the AP's operational mode. When you configure the AP's FRA radio to operate in 5 GHz, no client radios can
operate in 2.4 GHz band.
Note
Spectrum Analysis is not supported on the Aironet 1540 AP, Aironet 1800 Series APs, and Catalyst 9115 AP.
Radio slot assignments for spectrum analysis are as follows:
Device Model
Spectrum Analysis Radio Slot Assignment
Aironet 2800 Series APs
Aironet 3800 Series APs
Aironet 1560 APs
Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Series APs
Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Series APs
Radio slots 0 and 1 are enabled.
Aironet 4800 Series APs
Catalyst 9120 AP
Catalyst 9130 APs
These APs have three radio slots.
If data packet capture is running, radio slots 0 and 1 are enabled.
If data packet capture is not running, radio slot 2 is enabled.
Note
AP spectrum analysis data is not displayed for the 2.4 GHz channel band. Also, if there is no AP radio serving the 2.4 GHz
band, the Radio Mode and Channel fields are empty. This occurs if the FRA radio is set to operate in 5 GHz and packet capture is enabled.
Start a Spectrum Analysis Session on an AP
You can start a spectrum analysis session on a specific AP using the following procedure.
Note
The duration of a spectrum analysis session is 10 minutes.
The maximum number of concurrent spectrum analysis sessions is 10.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health.
Step 2
Click the Network Health tab.
Step 3
Do one of the following:
From the Network Devices dashlet, click the device name (hyperlinked identifier) for the AP to view the details for the AP.
In the Search field (located at the top-right corner), enter the device name, IP address, or MAC address.
A 360° view of the AP is displayed.
Step 4
In the Device 360 window, click Intelligent Capture at the top-right corner.
The Intelligent Capture:AP Name window is displayed.
In the slide-in pane, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, choose an available option:
Now: Immediately deploy the configurations.
Later: Schedule the date and time and define the time zone of the deployment.
Generate configuration preview: Review the configurations before deploying them.
If only visibility is enabled or both visibility and control are enabled, Generate configuration preview is chosen by default, and Now and Later are dimmed (unavailable). For more information, see "Visibility and Control of Wireless Device Configurations" in the Cisco Catalyst Center User Guide.
Step 8
In the Task Name field, modify the name if necessary.
Step 9
Click Apply.
Step 10
On the Performing Initial Checks window, address all the issues to continue with your current deployment.
After addressing all the issues, click Recheck in the bottom-right corner of the window and make sure that all the validations are successful.
If you chose Now or Later, click Submit, and the device configurations will deploy at the scheduled time. You can view the task on the Tasks window.
Step 11
If you chose Generate configuration preview, depending on the Visibility and Control of Configurations settings, do the following:
On the Preparing Devices and Configuration Models window, wait for the system to prepare the devices and generate the device configurations. This can take some time, so you
can click Exit and Preview Later. To view the work item later, go to the Tasks window.
On the Preview Configuration window, review the device configurations.
When you're ready, click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
If you're not ready to deploy the configurations or submit them for ITSM approval, click Exit and Preview Later. Later, go to the Tasks window, open the work item, and click Deploy or Submit for Approval.
Note
You can submit the device configurations for ITSM approval and deploy them without previewing all the configurations.
In the slide-in pane, indicate when you want to deploy the configuration, choose a time zone, and if visibility and control are enabled, add notes
for the IT administrator.
Click Submit.
You can check the work item’s approval status or the task’s deployment status on the Tasks window. If the work item isn’t approved, you need to resubmit the work item for ITSM approval. When it’s approved, it's deployed
at the scheduled time.
Note
Based on the 10-minute spectrum analysis duration, Catalyst Center automatically runs enable and disable tasks for the capture session. To view the configuration preview of the enable and
disable tasks, go to the Tasks window, open the task, and click View Work Item Details. If you don't view the configuration preview before the task completes, the option to preview is no longer available when
it completes.
View Spectrum Analysis Data of an AP
You can view the spectrum analysis data of an AP using the following procedure.
Procedure
Step 1
From the top-left corner, click the menu icon and choose Assurance > Health.
Step 2
Click the Network Health tab.
Step 3
Do one of the following:
From the Network Devices dashlet, click the device name (hyperlinked identifier) for the AP to view the details for the AP.
In the Search field (located at the top-right corner), enter the device name, IP address, or MAC address.
A 360° view of the AP is displayed.
Step 4
In the Device 360 window, click Intelligent Capture at the top-right corner.
The Intelligent Capture:AP Name window is displayed.
Use the timeline to view the spectrum analysis data for a given time and specify the scope of the data to display:
Timeline Slider
Item
Description
1 hour drop-down list
Click the drop-down list and choose a duration to set the range of the timeline. Options are 1 hour (the default), 3 hours, and 5 hours.
Timeline Slider
The timeline slider determines the time window of data that is displayed. The timeline slider is color-coded to display the
health of the AP. You can hover your cursor at a specific time to see the details, such as the device health score, system
resources, and data plane.
For Spectrum Analysis, the time range is set to a 5-minute window.
To adjust the timeline to a different time window, click the < and > buttons to the desired time window.
Note
The timeline can display data from up to two weeks in the past.
Click and drag the boundary lines to view data for a specific time.
Step 7
Use the radio frequency selector under the timeline to filter the data in the charts based on the frequency bands. Click 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz.
Note
If Radio Mode and Channel (above the Spectrum Analysis charts) do not display any data, this indicates that the AP has no radios operating on the selected band. This occurs when
an AP has both the client serving radios operating on 5 GHz, while the radio frequency selector is set to 2.4 GHz.
Use the Spectrum Analysis charts for the following functionality:
Spectrum Analysis Charts
Item
Description
Top chart (Persistence)
This chart provides in real time the amplitude (power) and the channel frequency for each heard signal in the RF environment.
The X axis represents the amplitude and the Y axis represents the channel frequency.
The colors in the chart represent how many signals are heard at the same amplitude and channel frequency within the selected
5-minute time period:
Blue indicates a low number of overlapping signals (or signals heard at the same amplitude and frequency).
Red indicates a high number of overlapping signals.
The intensity of the color increases (from blue > green > yellow > orange > red) as more signals are heard. As the lines
in the chart overlap and intersect, they change color.
The transparency of the colors represents the age of the signal data, with older data being more transparent.
To view the RF environment in real time, click Realtime FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) to enable it. Enabling Realtime FFT limits the persistence chart to display "one" most recent data
stream, rather than a collection of data streams from a 5-minute time period.
To zoom in and view data for a specific range of channels, click and drag your mouse to choose the range. The chart refreshes
and displays data for the specific channels that you selected.
To zoom out and view the entire chart, click the magnifying glass on the top-right corner.
Bottom chart (Waterfall)
This chart provides a time-wise interpretation of data. The chart provides the same information as the Persistence chart but
in a different format. The X axis shows the time and the Y axis shows the channel frequency. The lines in the chart represent
the exact order in which the events have occurred, which can enable you to troubleshoot the root cause if a problem occurs.
The colors in the chart represent the amplitude. Blue indicates a low value (-100 dBm) and red indicates a high value (-20
dBm).
Step 9
Use the Interference and Duty Cycle chart to view the following:
Detected interference and its severity:
Interference is plotted as a circle where the radius represents the bandwidth of the interference. The X axis represents the
frequency in which the interference was heard on and the Y axis represent the severity.
Severity measures the impact of the interference and the range. Range is from 0, which indicates no impact, to 100, which
indicates a huge impact.
The interference type is determined by its RF signature, which is identified by Cisco CleanAir Technology.
The duty cycle of each channel.
Troubleshoot Intelligent Capture
Client or Access Point Unable to Send Intelligent Capture Data to Catalyst Center
Problem: Client or access point is unable to send Intelligent Capture data to Catalyst Center. The warning () icon appears with the message GRPC link is not ready (CONNECTING):
Background: In order for APs to send Intelligent Capture data to Catalyst Center, the Intelligent Capture port number on the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller or Cisco Wireless Controller must be set to 32626. Typically, when the Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller or wireless controller is discovered by Catalyst Center, the port number is automatically set to 32626.
However, there are some upgrade paths for Catalyst Center that can cause the port number from being properly set.
Solution: To resolve this issue, do the following:
Check that the Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller or wireless controller has the Intelligent Capture server port number is set to 32626.
If the port number is not set to 32626, manually set it.
icon with the message 
filter
: Successful onboarding event.
: Incomplete event.
: Anomaly event.
: Good 
: Fair 
: Poor
icon.
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