It supports a range of base licenses for 12, 25, 50, 100, 250, or 500 access points , which can be expanded as your network grows.
Despite its age, the 5508 is remembered for its reliability in "mission-critical" environments.
If you are debating whether to stay on 8.3 or leap to 8.5, here is the reality check: air-ct5500-k9-8-3-150-0
The (Cisco 5508 Wireless Controller) is a legacy enterprise-grade platform designed to manage large-scale wireless networks. Running software version 8.3.150.0 marks the "end of the road" for this specific software line, as it was the final maintenance release for the 8.3 train. Software Version 8.3.150.0 Overview
As of 2025, Cisco no longer provides TAC support for 8.3.x images unless you have a legacy support contract. However, the image is widely available on Cisco’s Software Download portal (requires valid contract). It supports a range of base licenses for
For detailed technical instructions and compatibility matrices, you can refer to the Cisco Wireless Software Release Notes .
Supports APs (e.g., 1700, 2700, 3700, 1570) but not Wave 2 APs (1800, 2800, 3800). Check AP support matrix for 8.3.150.0 – many older APs (1240, 1260) are not supported beyond 8.0 or 8.1. Running software version 8
AIR-CT5500-K9-8-3-150-0 refers specifically to a software image file ( Cisco 5508 Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) , running version Cisco Community