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Manual Wi-Fi provisioning
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Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning
    Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning in OOB
    Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning from Cisco Unified CM after OOB
July 06, 2026 | 8 view(s) | 0 people thought this was helpful
Connect your Cisco Wireless Phone 9821 to a Wi-Fi network
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Provision the Wi-Fi Profiles to connect your Cisco Wireless Phone 9821 to a wireless network.

To connect your Cisco Wireless Phone 9821 to a wireless network, you need to provision the Wi-Fi Profile with one of the following methods.

  • Manual Wi-Fi provisioning

    Configure the Wi-Fi Profile through the Settings 9821 Settings app icon app on the phone.

  • Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning

    • Use the default Wi-Fi Profile 1 (SSID: cisco and Security Mode: None)
    • Use the desktop charger with a supported USB-to-Ethernet adapter (dongle) to download the profile

Once the phone connects to the network via the cisco SSID or an USB-to-Ethernet adapter, it automatically downloads the Wi-Fi profile.

Manual Wi-Fi provisioning

You can configure the Wi-Fi Profile through the Settings 9821 Settings app icon app on Cisco Wireless Phone 9821. Upon saving the changes, the phone connects to the Wi-Fi network.

Before you begin

You need the following information about the Wi-Fi network:

  • SSID

  • Security type

  • PIN or passkey for the selected security type

1

Access the Settings 9821 Settings app icon app.

2

Select Wi-Fi.

3

Select a profile.

4

(Optional) Set a profile name.

  1. Select Profile name.

  2. Use the keypad to enter a new name.

    • The Back 9821 Back softkey softkey deletes the character to the left of the cursor.

    • Use the Navigation ring to move from left to right in the field.

  3. Press More 9821 More button and select Save.

5

Select WLAN configuration.

6

Select SSID.

  1. Use the keypad to enter the SSID of the access point.

  2. Press More and select Save.

7

Select Security mode.

8

Select the type of security that the access point requires.

9

Set the required security fields using the following table:

Security Mode

Configured Field

Description

None

None

When the Security mode is set to None, no other fields are required.

PSK

Password

Enter the 8-63 ASCII or 64 Hex Password.

EAP-FAST

EAP-PEAP

User ID

Enter the user ID.

Password

Enter the password.

EAP-TLS

User certificate

Your administrator will give you the certificate type to select and will arrange for the certificate to be installed on your phone.

10

Select 802.11 mode and select the required mode.

The mode determines the frequency. If you set the mode to Auto, the phone can use 6 GHz, 5 GHz, or 2.4 GHz frequency.

11

Press Save.

Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning

For automatic provisioning of the Wi-Fi Profiles, you can either use the default Wi-Fi Profile 1 (SSID: cisco and Security Mode: None) or use the desktop charger with a supported USB-to-Ethernet adapter (dongle) to download the profile. Insert the dongle into the desktop charger to connect to an Ethernet network for automatic Wi-Fi profile provisioning and certificate enrollment purposes only. Voice calls over the Ethernet network are not supported.

The USB dongle is for initial provisioning only and should not be connected to the desktop charger during daily operation.

The supported USB-to-Ethernet adapters are:

  • Apple USB 2.0 Type-A Ethernet Adapter
  • Belkin USB 2.0 Type-A Ethernet Adapter
  • TAIKESEN USB 2.0 Type-A Ethernet Adapter
  • Davicom DM9601 Type-A Adapter
  • USB RJ45-KYRS9600
  • UGREEN Type-A Ethernet Adapter
  • StarTeck USB 3.0 Type-A Ethernet Adapter
  • Amazon USB 3.0 Type-A Ethernet Adapter

By default, 802.1X authentication for wired networks is disabled on Cisco Wireless Phone 9821. If your wired network uses the 802.1X protocol, you must enable 802.1X authentication on your phone to ensure the network connectivity for automatic provisioning.

Navigate to Settings 9821 Settings app icon > Admin settings > Security setup > 802.1X Authentication and toggle Device authentication to On.

Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning in OOB

Follow these steps to automatically provision the Wi-Fi Profile using an Ethernet network.

1

Create an XML configuration file (such as wlanprofile.xml) using the format below. Replace the network names, security modes, profile names, passphrases, and Wi-Fi user IDs with your specific values.

<flat-profile>
<Profile_Rule ua="na">gds://</Profile_Rule>

<Network_Name_1_ ua="rw" um="y">Network1</Network_Name_1_>
<Security_Mode_1_ ua="rw" um="y">PSK</Security_Mode_1_>
<Wi-Fi_User_ID_1_ ua="rw"/>
<Frequency_Band_1_ ua="rw">Auto</Frequency_Band_1_>
<Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_1_ ua="rw">Manufacturing installed</Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_1_>
<Control_Mode_1_ ua="rw">Allow</Control_Mode_1_>
<Enable_1_ ua="rw" um="y">Yes</Enable_1_>
<Profile_Name_1_ ua="rw" um="y">Network1</Profile_Name_1_>
<PSK_Passphrase_1_ ua="rw" um="y">12345678</PSK_Passphrase_1_>

<Network_Name_2_ ua="rw" um="y">Network2</Network_Name_2_>
<Security_Mode_2_ ua="rw" um="y">EAP-PEAP</Security_Mode_2_>
<Wi-Fi_User_ID_2_ ua="rw" um="y">UserID</Wi-Fi_User_ID_2_>
<Wi-Fi_Password_2_ ua="rw" um="y">12345678</Wi-Fi_Password_2_>
<Frequency_Band_2_ ua="rw">Auto</Frequency_Band_2_>
<Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_2_ ua="rw">Manufacturing installed</Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_2_>
<Control_Mode_2_ ua="rw">Allow</Control_Mode_2_>
<Enable_2_ ua="rw" um="y">Yes</Enable_2_>
<Profile_Name_2_ ua="rw" um="y">Network2</Profile_Name_2_>

<Network_Name_3_ ua="rw" um="y">Network3</Network_Name_3_>
<Security_Mode_3_ ua="rw" um="y">PSK</Security_Mode_3_>
<Wi-Fi_User_ID_3_ ua="rw"/>
<Frequency_Band_3_ ua="rw">Auto</Frequency_Band_3_>
<Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_3_ ua="rw">Manufacturing installed</Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_3_>
<Control_Mode_3_ ua="rw">Allow</Control_Mode_3_>
<Enable_3_ ua="rw" um="y">Yes</Enable_3_>
<Profile_Name_3_ ua="rw" um="y">Network3</Profile_Name_3_>
<PSK_Passphrase_3_ ua="rw" um="y">12345678</PSK_Passphrase_3_>

<Network_Name_4_ ua="rw" um="y">Network4</Network_Name_4_>
<Security_Mode_4_ ua="rw" um="y">EAP-TLS</Security_Mode_4_>
<Wi-Fi_User_ID_4_ ua="rw"/>
<Frequency_Band_4_ ua="rw">Auto</Frequency_Band_4_>
<Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_4_ ua="rw">Manufacturing installed</Wi-Fi_Certificate_Select_4_>
<Control_Mode_4_ ua="rw">Allow</Control_Mode_4_>
<Enable_4_ ua="rw">Yes</Enable_4_>
<Profile_Name_4_ ua="rw" um="y">Network4</Profile_Name_4_>
<PSK_Passphrase_4_ ua="rw" um="y">12345678</PSK_Passphrase_4_>

</flat-profile>
2

Upload this file to the TFTP server. Make sure that the configuration file is properly secured.

3

Add DHCP option 160 to the DHCP option definition set. For example:

NumberNameTypePath
[160](DHCP-config)captive-portalString (w/o null terminator)tftp://<server address>/wlanprofile.xml
4

Connect the desktop charger to the power source using the power adapter.

5

Connect one end of the dongle into the desktop charger and the other end to an RJ-45 cable connected to the network switch.

6

Put the phone into the desktop charger and wait while the profile downloads.

7

Access the Settings 9821 Settings app icon app and select Wi-Fi. Verify that the Wi-Fi Profile is downloaded to your phone.

8

Remove the phone from the desktop charger.

9

Disconnect the dongle from the desktop charger.

What to do next

Once the Wi-Fi connection is established, you can decide the phone registration method depending on how your administrator configures your phone on the call control system.

Automatic Wi-Fi provisioning from Cisco Unified CM after OOB

Follow these steps to automatically provision the Wi-Fi Profile using an Ethernet network. This is a legacy method intended for the subsequent Cisco Unified CM registration.

Before you begin

  • The native VLAN of the switch port to be used for provisioning must have connectivity to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) and must offer DHCP option 150 pointing it to Cisco Unified CM.
  • Autoregistration is enabled on Cisco Unified CM or you have added the phone to Cisco Unified CM with its MAC address.
1

In Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration, check that the WLAN Profile you created is associated to either the correct CUCM device pool (System > Device Pool), or associated with the wireless phone (Device > Phone).

2

Connect the desktop charger to the power source using the power adapter.

3

Connect one end of the dongle into the desktop charger and the other end to an RJ-45 cable connected to the network switch.

4

Put the phone into the desktop charger and wait while the profile downloads.

5

Check that the phone registers to Cisco Unified CM.

6

Remove the phone from the desktop charger.

7

Disconnect the dongle from the desktop charger.

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