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13399
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8
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Handheld WiFi Devices Timeout Problem

dselfridge
Level 1
Level 1

Hi,

This issue relates to users of Handheld Wi-Fi devices such as iPhones and the way they use Hibernation mode to save on Battery power.

What we are seeing is that the user logs in using the 'Guest' Account details (Using web-auth, no L2 Security), if the user then allows their handheld device to go into hibernation mode for a period of time, they must login again.

From what we can tell, this timeout period is relatively short, when monitoring the clients, we see that after 10 mins of idle time, the user becomes 'dis-associated' and 'no longer seen from controller' The user then has to login again.

I've changed the 'Session Timeout' values 14400 seconds on all controllers (Advanced tab on the WLAN Page). but this has no effect.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

1 Accepted Solution
8 Replies 8

Stephen Rodriguez
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

Hi,

     under the Controller Tab, what is the user idle timeout set to?  default is 300 seconds, if you have it at 600, this would explain why you are seeing the clients drop after 10 minutes

HTH,
Steve

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Please remember to rate useful posts, and mark questions as answered

Stephen is correct here. This is a problem with the client not polling on occasion to the controller. The default user idle timeout was designed to lower the amount of associated client devices that are not active and thus cause excessive total users per AP alerts on the controller. I often change this setting in manufacturing environments to be 8 hours as the users will place a RF scanning device on a charger or shelf for as much as an hour before using it again. This causes major issues in a SAP or other inventory terminal services applications. Apple could fix the issue within their driver but alas, they are either too cheap, or as I suspect, just do not understand wifi. The ipad also has this issue. 28800 or 14400 are good numbers to use when having this issue. That allows for an 8 hour or 4 hour window for the device to not be kicked off the WLAN.

Steve / Dennis,

Great job ... Learn something new everyday .

"Satisfaction does not come from knowing the solution, it comes from knowing why." - Rosalind Franklin
___________________________________________________________

Dennis,

     Is there a good value to set this to for a Medical type facility?

Thanks,


Kayle

I use that same timeout setting for a distribution center and here is why. Computers on wheels often go logged in and on wall power for hours without being used. The same thing will happen to a COW if it is not set to be in constant awake mode. Hospitals also use a lot of handheld devices and since this is a global controller setting and not one addressable per SSID I tend to use the longer settings in hospitals as well.

Guy's,

Thanks for the great advice.

The customer is experimenting with the User Idle timeout and will get back to me with progress.

I'll post how he gets on shortly.

Regards,

Dan

Vinay Sharma
Level 7
Level 7

Hello Daniel,

Please mark the Question as Answered, if the provided information is correct and it helped. By doing that others can take benefit as well.

Thanks,

Vinay Sharma

Community Manager – Wireless

Thanks & Regards
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