topic Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700 in ZoneDirector

Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

joe_stegman — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 22:58:46 GMT

Moved into a house with a Ruckus setup. Want to upgrade the firmware but can't because I don't have a support upgrade entitlement. Is it possible to upgrade my devices w/o a support upgrade entitlement?

If not, OK - then I'll take step 2 and get support - problem with that option is I can't get anyone to respond to the support emails. Is there a trick to this?

Joe

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

david_black_594 — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 23:31:48 GMT

If you want to renew support, you can contact ruckus.renewals@commscope.com.

The last ZD release that supports the R700 is 10.3. Depending on your current version, the upgrade may or may not be worth the cost. If you’re on 9.9 or 9.10, in my opinion the upgrade would be worth the cost of a 1-year renewal. If you’re 9.13 or higher, the value diminishes pretty quickly.

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

joe_stegman — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 04:24:23 GMT

Thanks, the ZD and APs are all 10.0.1 so maybe not worth it.

I'll try the email anyway to get a price.

Thanks again,

Joe

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

david_black_594 — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 10:52:46 GMT

One other advantage of support is advance replacement - if the controller dies, you get a replacement next business day. That’s important if you have only one controller. With zone directors, if the controller fails, the wireless network stays down until the controller is replaced. If you have support, you’ll have the new controller NBD. Without support, you have to mail the controller to Ruckus and you’ll receive the replacement in 2-3 weeks. If you can’t live with a potential outage of 2-3 weeks, you should consider buying support.

The current cost of end user support for a ZD1205 is $219 for 1 year, $470 for 3 years. Those prices are good until the end of the year.

An alternative to buying support is to buy a second controller on eBay. Prices vary but generally are $100-200. You should be able to change the firmware to match your version and then join the controllers together as a Smart Redundancy pair. If the active controller dies, the standby keeps the network up during the 2-3 weeks it takes Ruckus to send the replacement. Or you could just put the second controller on the shelf. If your controller fails, then replace it with the spare. If the firmware levels are different it won’t matter as long as the spare controller is 10.3 or lower.

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

Vineet_nejwala — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 08:41:38 GMT

Hi @joe_stegman

Ruckus Support contracts provide customers with the valuable assistance they need for maintaining high reliability and performance on their wired and wireless networks. It also provided replacement at a faster pace as AR (default RTF if no support), if you don't have a valid support any technical help would be delayed/denied and could cause panic if network down or partial down issue. It is always better and good to have support which is to be prepared for any critical condition.

Best Regards

Vineet

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

joe_stegman — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 22:50:59 GMT

@vineet_nejawala - still no response from the email David provided above. What else can I try to get someone to let me purchase a support agreement so I can keep my system on the latest/safest versions of S/W as well as upgrade some EOL devices?

Joe

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

david_black_594 — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 01:57:15 GMT

If you send me your contact info, I’ll get you a response. My email address is on my profile.

Re: Update firmware for ZD1200 and R700

Vineet_nejwala — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 04:21:27 GMT

@joe_stegman

Can you please reach out to CommScope/Ruckus directly and they should assist.

https://support.ruckuswireless.com/contact-us

Best Regards

Vineet