AP7901 Firmware

[jrybolt]

I saw a similar post from several years ago asking about firmware with no responses.

I'm looking for the latest firmware to use with the AP7901 PDU.  I have a couple of these that have never been on our internal LAN I would like to setup remote access.  I realize there may still be some vulnerabilities but I would like to start with the newest version of software possible.

Currently these both have

Version:	v3.7.4
Date:	11/09/2011

When I search for firmware on the APC website it does not return anything.

Any help is appreciated.

[Teken]

Please contact APC Technical Support directly in your region whether it be email, phone, live chat. Doing so will either result in obtaining the firmware or not.

You absolutely will NOT receive a timely response from an APC employee here. This is affirmed by the other thread you replied to which is years old and the thousands of other questions that went unanswered! 🤦‍♂️👎

Regardless, let’s just say you receive the latest firmware. I strongly suggest you fully understand a firmware upgrade on any APC equipment is a roll of the dice.

There is a high likelihood of bricking a perfectly good working PDU! ☝️ So be prepared to lose a working unit just for your efforts. 🙁

You’ll need the supplied APC serial cable or one you made that is 100% terminated the same as the OEM one and proven to work. You’ll need a dedicated laptop that is correctly setup. Understand the FAQ / installation manual as it relates to the firmware upgrade process. 

Be fully prepared to access the CLI and know how to format or recover the PDU if things goes side ways. 

Before you do anything with this PDU default the user name / password to: apc 

Enable all features such as FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, etc. Insure Boot & Cookies are NOT selected and HTTP access is on.

You can not access the web interface using HTTPS as the SSL / TLS certificates are long expired and don’t support the latest encryption. 

No matter what you do insure you LOG OUT of the web interface once you have validated all settings. Failure to do so will result in a webpage stating another person is logged in already! 🤦‍♂️👎

If that message is present you can enter in the URL at the very end what ever the logout.html is. This normally resolves this issue but not always depending upon the firmware in place. 

You will need an old computer that runs Internet Explorer 11 or older. IE / compatibility mode doesn’t always work to access the super slow webpage! 🤢

Make sure the PDU is connected to a UPS. If there’s a power blip you have a very expensive power bar. 🤣

NOTE: I normally state the firmware process should be guided live with a APC Support Technician. Given the hardware is long EOL they may not provide this walk through. 

Good luck and let us know how things turn out! If you receive the latest firmware please do share the same on the forums. Either by a link or hosted storage for the same. 

[jrybolt]

Thank you for the quick response.

I was able to acquire updated firmware from a colleague.  I'm not able to share it since I don't know the copyright concerns.

I did experience many of the issues you mention.  We have several UPS with similar networking interfaces.  I think I have been through all the concerns you listed.  This is a great message with everything in one place !

For now the PDU is running 2021 software.  It is going to be on a internal management network with no Internet access blocked from most systems.  Hopefully that will keep it safe allowing us to use the individual outlet reset options.

[jrybolt]

Thank you for the detailed instructions.  We have several APC network management cards in our system and have gone through everything you describe.  This is a great message putting a lot of information in one place.

I was able to find updated software from a colleague and experienced many of the issues listed.

Good luck to everyone in the future!

[jrybolt]

Version:	v3.9.4
Date:	05/03/2021

[Teken]

There are NO copyright concerns as the file is provided to the end user(s) at their own risk per their TOS (Terms of Service). The file was / had been released to the general public for years which negates any restrictions.

Keeping in mind the same firmware files have been shared by APC representatives in other PUBLIC forums.

Lastly, you have not modified the file at all so that negates any copyright protection rights. As such it’s covered under FAIR USE because it’s simply being shared to the same public it was intended for. ☝️

No pressure to do so but wanted to offer this insight as it relates to the firmware.

NOTE: Generally speaking the average person should never download anything from anyone other than the key source. Which in this case would be APC or their representatives. Because a typically said file is offered with a hash file to affirm what you’re downloading is the intended file (unaltered / modified) by any third party!