Overview

This article describes how to select the correct firmware, either for the XW or XM platforms of an airMAX M device; or the XC or WA platforms of an airMAX AC device.

NOTES & REQUIREMENTS:

The "correct firmware" will always be the latest release. The airMAX team is hard at work adding improvements to each new version. For security reasons, please be prompt to update all your devices to the latest firmware available in the Downloads page.

If you wish to test beta firmware versions, you will need to get beta access and then navigate to the Releases section of our Community. Once there, select RC (Release Candidate) status, choose to filter byCategory and Beta and then select airMAX from the ISP grouping.

Introduction
Identifying a Device's Platform
How to Download the Correct Firmware
Related Articles

Introduction

In 2015, the new airMAX AC line of products was released. This platform requires different firmware than the XM/XW used with the airMAX M line. The airMAX AC products use either XC or WA. You can easily check to see which firmware is needed for your specific model by checking the Main Dashboard of the airOS webUI.

Identifying a Device's Platform

airMAX M

The airMAX M devices use XW or XM platforms. Identify which one by looking at the firmware version in the device's SYSTEM tab; or by checking the firmware version in the MAIN tab.

XW devices will display an 'XW' before the firmware version. In the example above, the firmware is 6.1.6 and for XW devices. XM devices will show an 'XM' before the firmware version.

Older M devices are XM while most new M devices are XW. The first Rocket Titaniums were TI, but new Titanium Rockets are also XW. These changes were rolled in over an extended period of time.

If you cannot log into a device to check the board version, it is safe to attempt the wrong firmware first. You will only see an error.

airMAX AC

Identify if your airMAX AC product uses XC or WA platform by looking at the firmware version in your device's main tab. The device's platform, as well as the firmware version will appear in the top bar of the UI as well as in the version line.

XC devices will display an "XC" next to the firmware version. In the example above, the firmware is 8.0.2 and uses the XC platform. On the other hand, WA devices will show a "WA" next to the firmware version.

For those rare cases where logging into the device is not possible, use this table to see which firmware is required for each AC device.

airMAX AC Board List

XC	WA	2XC	2WA
R5AC-Lite	PBE-5AC-300/400	R2AC-PRISM	NBE-2AC-13
R5AC-PTP	PBE-5AC-300/400-ISO		PBE-2AC-400
R5AC-PTMP	PBE-5AC-ISO-GEN2		B-DB-AC
PBE-5AC-500	PBE-5AC-GEN2		BulletAC-IP67
PBE-5AC-620	Loco5AC
PBE-5AC-500-ISO	NS-5AC
R5-AC-PRISM	NBE-5AC-16
PS-5AC	IS-5AC
NBE-5AC-GEN2 (Single ethernet port)	LBE-5AC-23
RP-5AC-GEN2	LAP-120
NBE-5AC-19	LAP-GPS
	LBE-5AC-LR
	LBE-5AC-GEN2
	NBE-5AC-GEN2 (Dual ethernet port)

How to Download the Correct Firmware

1. Download the latest firmware for your device from https://www.ubnt.com/download.

2. Use the left hand menu to go to the airMAX M or airMAX AC section, depending on your device, and select your product from the list.

3. Click on the correct firmware, selecting the correct board: airMAX M's XM or XW, and airMAX AC's XC or WA. In some cases, the board firmware version number could be different. In all cases, it's recommended to have the latest firmware version available for your device's platform.

ATTENTION: If you attempt to install the wrong firmware on your device, the following error message will be displayed: "Please check that you have selected the correct firmware architecture for your device."

airMAX - How to Update Device Firmware

airMAX - Choosing the Correct Device Firmware