Wireless: How to manage SonicPoint Access Points and upgrade SonicPoint firmware

1. Managed Mode (Automatic Update)

If a SonicPoint device exchanges Sonic Discovery Protocol (SDP) & SonicWall Simple Provisioning Protocol (SSPP) with a SonicOS appliance, it will enter the managed mode. Under this mode, SonicPoint firmware can be automatic updated.

Step 1: Connect one LAN port on the SonicPoint to a SonicOS appliance interface.
Step 2: Login to SonicOS firmware | Navigate to the Network | Interfaces page | click Configure for the interface to which your SonicPoint is connected.
Step 3: Configure the interface as following. Here using the standard wireless zone WLAN for the Zone type.

Step 4: Navigate to SonicPoint | SonicPoints, the connected SonicPoint device will be displayed in SonicPoint area.

Step 5: Make sure the SonicOS appliance can access to the Internet. SonicOS will automatically check the available firmware and the status will change to Downloading Firmware after a while.
no Internet connected but there is one managed SonicPoint in the same network with an appropriate updated firmware , this SonicPoint can also grab the firmware automatically . (The SonicPoint with updated firmware can be the seed SonicPoint. SonicOS will firstly check its managed SonicPoints and if there is no appropriate firmware, SoncicOS will try to get the firmware from the Internet.)

Step 6: After firmware downloading finished, SonicPoint will write the firmware to the ROM and the status for the SonicPoint will change to Operational at last. It means the firmware upgrade for the SonicPoint is finished.
2.Managed Mode (Manual Update)

In managed mode, when your SonicOS appliance does not have Internet access or has access only through a proxy server. You may update the SonicPoint manually.

Step 1: Navigate to System | Diagnostics, download the TSR report.

Search "SonicPoint Image Downloading" in the downloaded report. You will find the URL for the SonicPoints. Dowload the right SonicPoint image.

Step 2: Load the SonicPoint image onto a local Web server that is reachable by your SonicWall appliance.

Note: You can change the file name of the SonicPoint image, but you should keep the extension intact (ex: .bin.sig).

Step 3: In the SonicOS user interface on your SonicWall appliance, in the navigation pane, go to System | Administration| Select the Manually specify SonicPoint image URL checkbox under Download URL

Step 4: In the text box, type the URL for the SonicPoint image file on your local Web server.

Note: When typing the URL for the SonicPoint image file, do NOT include http:// in the text box.

Step 5: Click Accept button on the top of the page | SonicOS will check the available firmware on the specified server and update the firmware after a while.

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3. Safe Mode (Manual Update)

Use a narrow, straight object (e.g.toothpick) to press and hold the reset button (a small hole on the Sonicpoint) on the SonicPoint for several seconds until the tool LED blinking. It will enter the safe mode.

Default settings for SonicPoint in safe mode:
IP: 192.168.1.20/24

Step 1: Connect one LAN port on the SonicPoint to a switch or directly connect to other terminals (PC or laptop). Make sure your PC and the SonicPoint devices are in the same subnet. For example: setting the PC IP as 192.168.1.1/24.

Step 2: Make sure you have downloaded the SonicPoint firmware to your local PC. You can get SonicPoint firmware from mySonicWall.com or contact SonicWall support service.

SonicPoint-N Firmware Version: 5.8.X .
SonicPoint-Ni/Ne Firmware Version: 6.8.X.
SonicPoint-NDR Firmware Version: 7.8.X.
SonicPoint-AC/NDRv2 Firmware Version 8.8.X.

Step 3: Open the internet browser| Enter "http://192.168.1.20" in the address bar . The SonicPoint GUI for safe mode will be displayed.

Step 4: Go to System | Firmware | Click HTTP-Select and Upload New Firmware | A window will popup.

Step 5: Click Choose File | Select the prepared SonicPoint firmware | Click Upload button. The SonicPoint will be upgraded.