Using OWE Transition and Client Steering to put guests on 6 GHz

[David Albrecht]

Hello,

We're running a network full of C9136 APs on 9800s running 17.9.3 with a open and unsecured guest network on 5GHz.

I want to use OWE transition and client steering to get 6E-capable clients onto a OWE/6GHz WLAN.

I've setup the OWE transition according to this doc and I am seeing clients seamlessly connect to the open Guest network, and then get put onto the OWE network.  However, none of the clients are getting steered onto the 6GHz radios, even though the clients are 6E-capable. 

If I create a separate 6E WLAN and broadcast it, the clients can connect to it just fine. So, it's gotta be something with the client steering and OWE transition.

Any tips on things to check?

[David Albrecht]

Thanks Scott. We've been working with a Cisco solutions architect on this project and they've suggested that this feature just isn't ready (both from the client driver side, and from the Cisco feature side, based on the number of open caveats that exist). We are absolutely optimizing with both Cisco's support, and collaboration with 3rd party wireless experts, but there's realistically only so much we can do.  We could go through TAC and our HTTS team, but my experience is that they don't really get involved unless it's something that was previously working, and then broke.

We will likely have to deploy a separate 6GHz SSID like you've suggested, but we're really trying to have a single SSID in this ultra-high-density environment. In the past, I've used separate SSIDs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz since client band select has always been hit or miss, but we really want to avoid that situation now.

[Scott Fella]

Well... they are separate bands so you are not going to cause more noise.  Giving users the opportunity to decide to connect to 5GHz or 6GHz guest, most would choose 6GHz I would think if their devices support it.  That way the 2.4GHz/5Ghz guest is still available for older devices that don't support 6GHz.  Eventually when manufactures improve their support for transition, its easy to just make the change to transition.

I have had no issues with band select in the past, but I had to tweak the parameters for band-select in order to get to where I wanted.  We went from almost 75% connecting to 2.4GHz to around 95% 5GHz.  We has devices that only supported 2.4GHz which was okay for us.  Tweaking that and also the data rates has helped a lot.

[Scott Fella]

Also, check out the video by the Wireless Center of Excellance Team starting at 30:15 which they talk about OWE and Transition mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWPL_30cyb4&list=PLk1Nf4537xV1ZBeGnFrq_CfKtKRT-G0rV&index=4

[ammahend]

6Ghz is not supported in OWE transition mode.

see the compatibility configuration section below

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Wi-Fi_Basics_and_Best_Practices/WPA3_Encryption_and_Configuration_Guide