Blocking User on a per AP basis

[catholicschools_1]

                   Hi All,

We run a multi site environment with a 5508 controller at each site and central WCS with 3502 APs.

Having an issue atm where a user is sitting and in proximity to 3 APs (2 in her room, 1 on the floor beneath her, solid cement floor).

Her NIC windows connection is randomly and frequently dropping out, on WCS I can see she assoicates between the 3 APs at these dropout intervals, the problem AP being the one beneath her.

Is there a way I can block her from 2 of the APs somehow or force her to prefer an AP of choice? (have tested with different laptops/users in same location and same issue occurs, APs do not go offline and the network backend is all stable).

[Scott Fella]

There is no configuration to BLOCK a user from a given access point. I would make sure you don't have client load balancing enabled and maybe adjust the client device roaming aggressiveness. Depending on the wireless card, most have some sort of adjustable setting.

If the device does associate to any of the APs, they should still work fine. Is there an issue with maybe one of the APs? What do you mean by problem AP? Is the user complaining or is it because what you are seeing in WCS?

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[catholicschools_1]

Hi Scott,

Client load balancing is turned on, is it wise to turn this off?

Yes it should still work fine but does not. Problem AP was just a term, I would assume signal strength assoicated to that AP would be low as it is through thick concrete.

The user is complaining and local tech has witness the connection dropping and then re-associating through windows.

I will look into the device roaming and also try eliminating (turning off) some of the APs to see if that does make a difference.

[Scott Fella]

Disable client load balancing as many client don't function well with that feature enabled. It sends a status code 17 which isn't supported by many devices. Try that first before anything else.

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[Scott Fella]

Here is more info on client load balancing and status code 17

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6366/products_configuration_example09186a0080b8ad2d.shtml

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[catholicschools_1]

From what I read elsewhere the aggresive (legacy) load balancing had issues, we run WLC software 7.0.116.0. We have all semi-new HP/Dell business laptops.

Our sites are school sites with one AP per classroom and a very dense environment, the user in question is a staff member having issues in the staff room. Students and Staff use the same WLAN.

I will look at switching off load balancing tomorrow and seeing what impact this has.

I should be able to pickup the code 17 from a packet sniffer running on the laptop?

[Scott Fella]

Well since you mentioned dense deployment, then I would think your running into this issue. Even when I deploy 7.2.110.0, I will not enable client load balancing. Even with newer clients, doesn't mean the manufacture will honor status code 17. Disable that feature and let it run for a couple days and see. I would think you would have more issues than with one client.

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[catholicschools_1]

Thanks Scott I will report back.

Yes we actually have 11 High schools with identical deployments (apart from number of APs) and have not had any complaints or issues raised in 15 + months.

[Scott Fella]

I've done many school districts with an ap in every classroom or every other room and will not enable that feature at all. That feature caused me nightmares:)

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