topic Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect in Wireless

Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 19:57:24 GMT

Users are being randomly disconnected from the wireless APs, all users are not disconnected at the same time.

When Windows clients are disconnected they receive the "globe" rather connected icon. After about 10-15 seconds the connectivity is restored without the user taking any action.

There is no indication they are being disconnected from the wireless network. We have received another incident where a Apple Macbook was disconnected so we are certain this is not specifically a windows problem.

The SSID is configured for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands with PSK and the clients have a DHCP lease of 1 day gathered from a separate DHCP server.

Devices involved:
WLC 9800-CL (16.12.4a)
10 x C9120AXI-E (16.12.4.31)

Disconnect occurs across the entire office space, do not believe this to be a specific AP issue.

As the time they are disconnected is so short, I initially wanted to go back to the users and advise that this just one of the issues of wireless networks in a shared office space. The client however is adamant they want to know why this is occurring.

All APs have been updated to attempt to resolve the issue as have the clients wireless drivers.

Copy of the radioactive trace logs attached when a disconnect occurred. I was unable to find an official reference for what the state transitions mean so I'm guessing that if a client was in "S_CO_RUN" it has previously successfully associated so when a client goes from "S_CO_RUN" to "S_CO_ASSOCIATING" it is an indication of a disconnect?

Also attached logs from a Windows client but they do not match with the actual times the client is disconnected.

Any suggestions on next steps to troubleshoot?

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

balaji.bandi — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 11:34:35 GMT

This is more investigation on each level : is this DNAC environment with ISE ?

start with below steps :

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless-mobility-documents/wireless-client-random-frequent-disconnections-checklist-before/ta-p/3136513

1. start listing what end device this occurs, or any devices ?

2. Only laptops or iPhones, all devices ?

3. what model of Wiless nic and Drivers on end user side.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Leo Laohoo — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 11:59:00 GMT

@GiddyWhenSane wrote:

When Windows clients are disconnected they receive the "globe" rather connected icon.

Only "Windows clients"?
What about Apple or Android users?

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:10:58 GMT

Thanks for Reply. Will review other post.

No ISE although all APs are running lightweight to the WLC. SSID is configured for local breakout, not centralised switching.

So far confirmed issues have been identified on the originally listed HP laptop with Intel wireless and a single Apple (Intel) Macbook.

As the disconnect is so brief, it is not being noticed on mobile devices. For laptops it's more problematic as it can interrupt presentations and VoIP calls.

Users are not very cooperative, you know the age old "It works fine at home with no issue" response.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Mark Elsen — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:25:32 GMT

- Also try to perform a client debug on the controller. you can have it analyzed afterwards with : https://cway.cisco.com/tools/WirelessDebugAnalyzer/

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:52:53 GMT

Thanks Marce, client debug I do believe has been replaced by Radioactive tracing on the newer controllers:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/213949-wireless-debugging-and-log-collection-on.html

There is no "debug client" command any more:

WLC#debug cl?
clns cls

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:20:18 GMT

Reviewing the suggestions, I've found that:

Optimised Roaming is currently disabled
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/config-guide/b_wl_16_10_cg/optimized-roaming.html
Fast Transition / Fast SSID is disabled (recommended: Adaptive Enabled)
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/guide-c07-743627.html

Will try enabling these next.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Mark Elsen — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:24:21 GMT

- Ok. these threads are somewhat similar - you may find them informational :

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/radioactive-trace-co-client-delete-reason-ap-delete-mn/td-p/4258307?dtid=osscdc000283

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/cisco-9800-radioactive-trace-ap-delete-mn-amp-exclude-ip-theft/td-p/4179269?dtid=osscdc000283

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

balaji.bandi — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 13:29:30 GMT

thanks for the information, do you have configuraiton to review ?

Do you have fast roaming / ATF enable ?

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 15:09:15 GMT

BB, config attached.

From what I understand Fast Roaming/Fast Transition (802.11r) are the same. Not enabled as yet but planning to change next week.

Not sure how this will help though as users are getting disconnected even when stationary so there is "good" reason they should be transitioning to another AP. All APs joins are stable for over 2 weeks.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Scott Fella — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:53:40 GMT

Some thing to look at, on Windows, make sure the wireless drivers are up to date. On the Mac, remove the profile and add it back. I run the 9800 also in FlexConnect and have seen this issue only when the device is out on the wrong vlan. You need to make sure that the AP’s flex policy has the defined vlans and also double check the trunk ports to each ap and make sure they are correct. A missing vlan can also cause that issue. The other thing to make sure of is dns. Typically you will see that when DNS is the culprit. Search Windows wireless globe icon. There are some workarounds to enter a static to a public dns to test and or registry fixes.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

JPavonM — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 06:39:16 GMT

The most weird is that only Mac affected between all Windows clients that could ruin all theories, but let me introduce you to my last issue. Something similar happened to me while using 17.3.1 code. Windows clients were disconnected at the end of the session (session timeout configured under the profile).

Investigate a little bit on this and look if your clients are disconnecting after a period equal to session timeout which seems by default in your config. To see this, perform a packet capture in the client with Wireshark using the filter "dhcp". If you see many DHCP requests and no ACK until 180 seconds more or less, then you're hitting https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/bugsearch/bug/CSCvw30043/?rfs=iqvred . The bug seems to affect only 8.10.140 and 17.3.1 and not AP9100 series but who knows if you've discovered something.

HTH
-Jesus

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

GiddyWhenSane — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 11:55:56 GMT

Thanks so far for all the suggestions, the following changes were made today so we just waiting to see what happens:

Optimised Roaming has been enabled
Fast Transition / Fast SSID changed to Adaptive Enabled (was Disabled)

Will feedback once more info available

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

PT04647 — Tue, 18 May 2021 07:00:30 GMT

Check session timeout in WLAN Policy Profile settings, by default on 16.12.4a is a 1800 seconds.

Users complaints about disconnection from Wi-Fi and the need to reconnect. Or the Wi-Fi connection worked, but the Internet did not work - reconnection solved the problem.

In trace logs of one problem client: Deleting the client, reason: 24, CO_CLIENT_DELETE_REASON_SESSION_TIMEOUT

Setting the session timeout to 0 solved the disconnection problem.

My setup WLC 9800-L 16.12.4a, C9115AXI-R 16.12.4.31

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Scott Fella — Tue, 18 May 2021 13:02:43 GMT

Keep in mind that there is a bug when setting the session timer to 0. Recommendations is to set it at the highest value.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

PT04647 — Wed, 19 May 2021 06:40:41 GMT

Can you explain what the session timeout is for? If you set a higher value, the disconnect will still be, but not so often.

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

ahmad.syed — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:27:17 GMT

Hi Team,

I am facing same issue of having globe icon on taskbar with disconnection . But its happening randomly and not for all user.

We have central switching deployment with ISE

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

JPavonM — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 13:35:02 GMT

@GiddyWhenSane when you say Windows shows the globe is not usefull. Does the client disconnect, or does the client lose IP address? Can you see client connected with current association to the APs? Is this happening when they are static or are they moving and romaing between APs?

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

ahmad.syed — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:22:12 GMT

Hi ,

@JPavonM Yes, client disconnect. Its happening when they are static and its random

Re: Wireless AC Clients Randomly Disconnect

Fabien Guicherd — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 12:06:48 GMT

Hello !
It seems that i have a similar problem, random disconnection on some laptops that are statics. But it seems that they lost "IP connection" and not wireless connection.

When it occurs they still are connected to wifi but don't have access to the network. They have to disconnect and reconnect to the SSID (these explanation are from the customer, i have not see it by myself)

9800CL in 17.3.4c with AP9115 ; device drives are up to date, but the SSID they are using is with 802.1X and not PSK, in Flex mode

They are in HSRP mode with their Core Switchs (10.38.51.251 and .252).

We have debug enable on a computer, the user report problem at the following time : 9:50 / 11:52 / 14:40 / 17:28

Around these times, i have a lot of DHCP log like this :

2022/03/21 09:49:13.095382 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: dc41.a916.e284 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 0.0.0.0, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREQUEST, SISF_DHCPREQUEST, giaddr: 0.0.0.0, yiaddr: 0.0.0.0, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:13.097693 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: 4ce1.76ab.33c6 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 10.38.51.251, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREPLY, SISF_DHCPACK, giaddr: 10.38.51.251, yiaddr: 10.38.51.154, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:13.097853 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: 4ce1.75f3.25c6 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 10.38.51.252, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREPLY, SISF_DHCPACK, giaddr: 10.38.51.252, yiaddr: 10.38.51.154, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:15.100215 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [auth-mgr-feat_dsensor] [21465]: (info): [dc41.a916.e284:capwap_90000019] Skipping DHCP TLVs for further processing. DHCP based classification isn't enabled
2022/03/21 09:49:15.100295 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: dc41.a916.e284 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 0.0.0.0, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREQUEST, SISF_DHCPREQUEST, giaddr: 0.0.0.0, yiaddr: 0.0.0.0, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:15.102368 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: 4ce1.76ab.33c6 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 10.38.51.251, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREPLY, SISF_DHCPACK, giaddr: 10.38.51.251, yiaddr: 10.38.51.154, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:15.102538 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (info): RX: DHCPv4 from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Src MAC: 4ce1.75f3.25c6 Dst MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff src_ip: 10.38.51.252, dst_ip: 255.255.255.255, BOOTPREPLY, SISF_DHCPACK, giaddr: 10.38.51.252, yiaddr: 10.38.51.154, CMAC: dc41.a916.e284 
2022/03/21 09:49:16.546488 {wncd_x_R0-0}{1}: [sisf-packet] [21465]: (debug): RX: ARP from interface capwap_90000019 on vlan 51 Source MAC: dc41.a916.e284 Dest MAC: ffff.ffff.ffff ARP REQUEST, ARP sender MAC: dc41.a916.e284 ARP target MAC: 0000.0000.0000 ARP sender IP: 10.38.51.154, ARP target IP: 10.38.51.154,

So it can be a reason for their problem, but why it occurs ?

We will try to configure some device ip fixed ip to bypass the DHCP and see if we still have the problem

I attach the full logs of the day to the post if someone see another usefull logs

Thanks !