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Wireless Disconnection Problem

Tahir Ali
Level 1
Level 1

Hi All,

Intro:

We have a small client demo in which we have the 1231 AP with PEAP authentication and WPA (TKIP). The ACS server is placed in another country. The number of clients are not more than 5 as for demo and the environment is indoor. Also there are no cordless phones around to interfere.Client Utility used is of windows as per company policy.

Problem:

My client is very conscious about wifi deployment and cannot stand any interference or disconnection. Problem I am facing is that we are getting disconnection 3-4 times a day for all the clients. AP is placed approx 15ft from the user who is complaining the most. The user isn't roaming too.

I wanted to ask what can be the problem

1) ACS PEAP session timeout value?

2) any other timer value for AP or ACS

3) windows utility issue

4)interference issue

5)WAN link issue?

6) certificate authority issue

7) client adapter issue?

Please HELP!

9 Replies 9

Scott Fella
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Try to set the client device to Constan Awake Mode, this way the card will always be transmitting. It sounds like this is a small area, by any chance ido they have a microwave overn?

-Scott
*** Please rate helpful posts ***

Can you tell me how to set it in constant awake mode....also wat about peap session timeout value of ACS?

and No the area is big but its congested..

In the client card configuration look for power mananagement, set it to maximmum performance (CAM). You can set the session timeout on ACS also and there is idle timeouts on the WLC you can play with.

-Scott
*** Please rate helpful posts ***

Thanks fella,

We dont have WLC, its autnomous and we have given a demo, and based on this demo performance , client will decide whether they buy or not:)

Any ways wat do u think WAN link can cause the problem in any scenario? or any thing other than ACS peap timeout value...

The WAN link will cause issues that would be similar to that of wired clients. You have to look at what issues you are really having. If the issues is authentication here and there, then I would suspect that it's the timeout value you will have to increase. If users looses connetion to the ap here and there, then it's either the client card, configuration on the ap or interference. It is always good to look at the latest approved drivers.. something not two or three years old.

Like I said... try to be more specific at what the issues you are seeing.

-Scott
*** Please rate helpful posts ***

Actually, the problem is that I dont have access to to the singapore ACS. So cant tell exaclty.

The problem which client quoted is " Man...We have a disconnection problem 2 to 3 times a day for the wifi clients"

I placed the AP properly inorder to prevent the reflection problem, also there are no cordless phones, but the enivironment is congested .

Precisely speaking, I think its the windows wireless utility problem Or the ACS timeout value. I have schduled a meeting on Monday with them, Let see wat goes.. thanks again

What you have to find out is if the issues is a wireless dissconnect or an issues with an application loosing connection. They say 2 or 3 times a day, but how do they get that. is there an application that is failing and they have to log back on. Some options you have is maybe run on the 5 GHz or try a persisten client. Also take a look at the windows zero configuration profile... maybe they have added a profile with an ssid that they have seen and the device tries to associate with that ssid once in a while.

-Scott
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Well, I had a visit there and this is what I observed

1) They have there enterprise CA authorrity and have those certificate installed and authenticated for both LAN and Wireless.

2)Since there is a certificate setup and there is no PEAP configuration for clients then I assume they are using EAP-TLS. I am assuming because they dont give me access to ACS server placed globbally.

3) initially the problem was on only 2 of the clients with old laptops, which I told then to install new drivers.

4)Now since 2 days the claim to have problem on all the Laptops. By problem I mean the disconnection.

5) I observed that one of the client with old laptop initially authenticates with 54 mbps then suddenly the bandwidth on the windows utility shows 1 mbps and then it stucks or disconnects. After that when I repair the connection it works and so on.

6) What I did to troubleshoot is as follows:

1)set the SSID as infrastructure and also checked the forced client to connect to this ssid.

2) I didnt find any other ssid configured on most of the laptops and also didnt find any signal from other SSIds too.

3)Set the power and other stuff for the wifi clients configuration to max. Since there is only 1-AP in the premises then I think there is no signal interference issue too. Also there are no microwave ovens or cordless phones nearby.

4) I have instructed them to install updated driver too but what about the clients which were not facing any issue and after some days they are facing it too.

Please help as this is getting critical.

The issue with other clients having issues now, might just them exaggerating.... since you were out there. When I see clients connected and then the utility drops to 1mbps, is usually due to the utility managing the wireless connection. Upgrading the driver is important, but making sure the every client has the same firmware is important too... unless you have different devices out there. Since this is isolated on one ap, what you can do is run a debug on the clients and see what logs are generated. Also look at the logs on the AP itself.

Review this doc.... too bad you can't look at the ACS....

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2086/products_white_paper09186a008009256b.shtml#wp39112

-Scott
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