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Problem
We are currently experiencing connectivity issues to NazCommunity WiFi around campus. The issue is affecting users in both residential buildings as well as academic buildings. This is a known issue and is actively being worked.
Overview
In August, we were working on an issue surrounding MacBook Airs. Around this time, we migrated to the new wireless LAN controllers as the existing controller was no longer supported. As student began moving in, issues surrounding Roku's began to surface. The Roku devices with issues were all running the same software version. As we upgraded the firmware in the controller in October, the issues with MacBook Airs and Roku's were resolving. At this time, we began to see an up tick in wireless issues regardless of the device type. This continues to be an issue affecting students on one or more of their devices while some students have reported the issues have resolved.
Timeline
December 3, 2024
- Extreme support was back onsite today to continue troubleshooting
- The MacBook that we were able to recreate the issue began working as expected with no change
- Additional log captures confirmed that the DHCP reservation was not being sent from the AP to the client
- The log files were escalated to Tier 3 support, we are waiting for the results of their analysis and recommended next step
- The parent ticket will be updated today to reiterate that work continues and a resolution remains a top priority for the team
December 2, 2024
- Extreme support is onsite to assist with troubleshooting
- As a recommendation from support ARP caching was disabled in PH-4, no change
- As a recommendation from support, APR Proxy on building-4 vlans on the XCC, this did not resolve the issue
November 2024
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Disable arp caching by the AP, and have the switch process ARP cache based on recommendation from support
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We performed several packet captures when devices were failing to connect to the network, as well as AP logs for these instances, and sent them on to Extreme Networks support
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Extreme support has been onsite to assist the network team with troubleshooting
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ENS successfully replicated the problem on a Naz owned MacBook. This device is unable to connect in the Library or GAC but works fine in Smyth
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We rebooted both EWC's this morning.
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There were 15APs on the EWC that did not have the latest FW upgrade. I initiated the upgrade with the option to minimize service impact.
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Opened a support ticket (2) with Extreme to assist in further isolation of the issue
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We’re currently working to stand up a completely separate WLAN and associated VLAN that mimics the NCNET WLAN to hopefully isolate the issue to the NAZCommunityWiFi WLAN.
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Rolled back changes to NAC (no change), NAC is back in place.
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Restarted APs that were in use near student problem connections.
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Reviewed switch configurations for anomalous configurations.
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Performed more localized and holistic packet captures to further isolate traffic issues
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Expanded DHCP pool reservations in GAC to alleviate IP exhaustion in this building
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Modified hardcoded radio settings in part of Portka to use automatic radio settings to alleviate any signal or interference issues due to manual configurations.
October 2024
- All ENS projects put on hold to address the wireless issues.
- Began to update the firmware in the access points to rule out firmware as an issue. Both the MacBook and Roku issues began to resolve
- New issues being reported of devices not connecting in dorms. No commonality on device type, OS or patch level.
- ENS worked with individuals reporting issues to capture and analyze traffic.
- Some students who were experiencing connectivity issues reported no longer having problems
September 2024
- Reports of Roku's not connecting to WiFi began to come in. The Network team worked with the students reporting the issues to capture and analyze the network traffic.
August 2024
- Migrated access points to new supported controllers to first ensure the infrastructure was on supported hardware and second, to see if that address the MacBook Air issues reported at that time.
Additional Resources
To report an issue with wireless connectivity, you can submit a ticket online or call the Technology and Media Services Desk at 389-2111
If you would like to be added to the parent ticket for updates or to report issues, you can reference ticket 21785049.
Environment
No specific devices, buildings or operating systems have been identified.
Resolution
No resolution identified at this time.
Cause
Based on initial analysis, it seems like the client is not obtaining a new DHCP lease as they move from building to building. This sometimes resolves after a certain timeframe which may be related to DHCP lease timeout but that has not been confirmed.