Ubiquiti UAP AC Mesh

UAP AC Mesh

The UAP AC Mesh is a PoE powered access point that is weather resistant and omnidirectional.

Downgrading

If your device shipped with the latest firmware, or if you upgraded to version 3.8.xx.xxxx or higher, you may need to downgrade the device before you can flash it due to the mtd utility being missing in later versions. Simply download any 3.7.xx.xxxx firmware image from Ubiquiti Downloads and proceed with the recovery instructions.

Aparcar's meta-imagebuilder

First clone the repo from opensource.piratemesh.net (hyperboria or yggdrasil-network) or from https://github.com/MassMesh/meta-imagebuilder Once checked out of the repo, call the massmesh script with these parameters `./build massmesh meshradio ubnt_unifiac-mesh` The mesh firmware is built in /dev/shm (tmpfs) but the imagebuilder variable can be changed, please use the `build` script as you see fit.

Compiling for LiMe

Clone the Libremesh source code with git clone https://github.com/libremesh/lime-sdk.git
If stuck, detailed information can be found here: (https://libremesh.org/getit.html)[1]
The following steps should produce the `sysupgrade` firmware.

./cooker -d ar71xx/generic
./cooker -b ar71xx/generic 
./cooker -c ar71xx/generic --flavor=lime_default --profile=ubnt-unifiac-lite --community=massmesh/common

The filename of the sysupgrade firmware may change. The examples below may differ than the binary produced from the steps above.
In the case you are building the latest development firmware, the output directory may generate a firmware named
openwrt-18.06.1-massmesh-common-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-mesh-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

Flashing

Get the firmware here.

In the stock firmware, the access point will have the default user/pass ubnt / ubnt. If there is no DHCP server, it will assign itself the IP address 192.168.1.20.

1. Statically assign your computer the IP address 192.168.1.25
2. Power on the device and plug it into your computer's ethernet port
3. Copy the firmware you want to flash to the device:

scp openwrt-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin ubnt@192.168.1.20:/tmp/

4. SSH into the device and log in with the default username and password ubnt / ubnt

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20

5. Then write the firmware to kernel0 and kernel1

BZ.v3.7.40# mtd write /tmp/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin kernel0
Unlocking kernel0 ...
Erasing kernel0 ...
Writing from /tmp/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin to kernel0 ...  [e/w]

BZ.v3.7.40# mtd -r write /tmp/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin kernel1
Unlocking kernel1 ...
Erasing kernel1 ...
Writing from /tmp/openwrt-ar71xx-generic-ubnt-unifiac-lite-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin to kernel1 ...  [e/w]

After writing the firmware and giving the radio a reboot please wait upwards of 5+ minutes during this "first boot" process. Soon you'll be able to access to device over WiFi (or Ethernet) in order to set a new admin password here: http://thisnode.info

Recovery

To recover the UAP AC Mesh from a bad flash, or to upgrade or downgrade the stock firmware, you will need to put the device in recovery mode and send a stock firmware using TFTP.

1. Obtain a stock firmware to flash by going to the Ubiquiti Downloads Page for this device and clicking "See Past Firmware" - 3.7.xx.xxxx is recommended if you wish to flash something else afterwards
2. Rename the firmware file to firmware.bin, as the device will look for this file name
3. To enter recovery mode, hold the reset button located next to the ethernet port while plugging in the power. Hold the reset button until the side LED alternates white, blue, off.
4. Assign your computer a static IP such as 192.168.1.25, with net mask of 255.255.255.0 or /24
5. Connect your computer's ethernet port to the device
6. Run TFTP and enter the following commands:

tftp> connect 192.168.1.20
tftp> binary
tftp> rexmt 1
tftp> timeout 60
tftp> put firmware.bin
Sent x bytes in x seconds

The LED will flash at varying speeds, then it will turn solid when complete.