Client association question - Rogue AP

[echoknight]

Lets say a customer has legacy light-weight APs powered up near newly installed Meraki APs. The legacy (essentially rogue) APs are not associated to a controller. In theory could they still have old config retained and be broadcasting an SSID and a client could try to connect to them, causing performance issues?

[aleabrahao]

Yes, but you have to use a different ssid name. You also can classified It as a friendly Access point.

[echoknight]

Yeah I'm just wondering if that legacy AP is going to be causing issues for the clients. It may not even be connected to a switch, but it could be powered on.. And broadcasting an SSID causing problems... Am I correct in that assumption?

[aleabrahao · Accepted solution]

This is very subjective, if we are going to talk in terms of RF, the ideal would be to disable it so as not to be "polluting" the air. But that doesn't mean it will necessarily cause any problems.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3850/software/release/3se/security/configuration_guide/b_sec_3se_3850_cg/b_sec_3se_3850_cg_chapter_010110.pdf

https://meraki.cisco.com/blog/2017/09/rogue-access-point/

[Brash]

Depends on the brand but In theory yes.

Easiest way to check is see if it's still broadcasting. You can use simple free tools to pick up the broadcast MAC of an ssid. You can then use that to correlate to the source AP. I often use an Android app called wifi analyser.

Other than that, you should also be able to see the AP as a rogue AP in the dashboard under air marshal.