27.x firmware and 802.11ac wave 1 APs

[cmr]

I know that the 802.11ac wave 1 APs like the MR32 and MR34 cannot run the 27.x firmware, but what happens if you upgrade a network with a mix of wave 1 and wave 2 APs?

I'm guessing the wave 1 APs stay on a 26.x version, but do they go to 26.8.1 if they weren't already on that version, or do they simply stay on what they were?

If a 26.8.2+ version comes out, will wave 1 APs in a mixed network running 27.x be upgraded or will they stay stuck at 26.8.1?

Are there any reliability issues running this mix or is it simply that you cannot use some of the 27.x features?

Thank you!

[DarrenOC]

Commenting for visibility 

[KarstenI]

This is one of my mixed networks:

The MR30H is in the process of upgrading just now. And this is one SSID without one of the 27.x features:

[rhbirkelund]

I can't comment for MRs because, well, I haven't tried that scenario yet.

But imagine Z1 teleworkers.

The Z1 is not supported on MX15.x but you can schedule an upgrade to MX15.x. What will happen is that the Z1 will "upgrade" to MX15, but since there is not support for it, the Z1 will stay on the latest MX14.x software that supports it, but still report as upgraded to MX15.x.

I imagine that the same applies to MRs.

[cmr]

Thanks @KarstenI and @rhbirkelund .  With the MX/Z they are in their own networks so I'm thinking it is more simple, the MR features looks as expected, thanks for that. 

@KarstenI Have you been running mixed MR for a while and does roaming work properly.

@rhbirkelund I had a beer in Aarhus about 25 years ago and the locals thought I was Norwegian... Good times 😎

[KarstenI · Accepted solution]

@cmr This network is running in this combination for at least two years.

Roaming ... Well, I never captured it in that network and I can not tell if it really roams or just disassociates and associated again. The most used SSID is PSK anyhow. I think I have to try it again with FT on my SM-enabled SSID when I am in that network again. But that will not happen in the next couple of days.

[KarstenI]

I think it is important to look exactly at what is happening here. It wouldn't make any sense to upgrade a Z1 to 15x, but we are not really upgrading devices. We are just setting the intended Firmware-version for a dashboard network whatever devices are in there.

And the network can easily be configured for v15 regardless if it is a Z1 in there or a Z3. But the moment the Z1 is replaced by a Z3, the Z3 will run the configured version.

[cmr]

@KarstenI that's exactly one of my questions, in the MX firmware it explicitly states what version older MXs will get when 15.x is applied, but there is no statement in the MR release notes, other than to state which models won't be upgraded...

[NolanHerring]

@cmr  - So the chosen solution doesn't seem to sync up with your original post questions.

Did you find out answers to them by chance?

I have a site on 25.13 still, and it has MR32 and MR42 and I'm looking to update the firmware but want to understand how it will function.

[cmr]

@NolanHerring after @KarstenI 's post I just upgraded all our sites and they seem to be working okay.  At the moment we have hardly any traffic so cannot be 100% sure that there aren't some issues but I'm planning to go to a mixed site next week and will do some testing to confirm that there aren't issues.