VoIP over WLAN - Client Roaming Settings

[Frank Wagner]

Hello,

what would you suggest, are the best settings in the "Client Roaming Section" of the WLC Configuration for the following requirements:

VoIP over WLAN deployment, 802.11a, WLC 4402, 25 - 30 access points (mainly 1252, a few 1130), 7925G phones.

In the moment the settings are set to default, that means: Min. Rssi = -85; Hysteresis = 3; Scan Tresh. = -72; Trans. Time = 5

Unfortunately we are not completely satisfied with the roaming behavior of our phones, so there is the question,

if the roaming behavior of the phones can be improved. Sometimes it looks like the phone takes too much time to make a roaming decision.

Thanks,

Greeting Frank

[thall]

Guys,

I feel like we a suffering from identical issues. I have a 5508 w/ 28 AP ranging from 1242s, 1252s, and 1142s using both 7925s and 7921s for phones. Roaming is atrocious. We just updated our 7925s to R2 of the latest firmware w/ no success in resolving the issue. We too are working on getting TAC and our SE involved to help out. The worst part is that our sister plant in San Carlos Ca across the country for us, not to mention the amount of rogue wifi networks plaguing us. 2 trips out to plug coverage holes and to try to resolve the roaming issue have been futile. I'll throw in any input I get from TAC or other useful resources.

Glad its not just us, but it still sucks for everyone equally.

Nathan

nchitwood@deltastar.com

[Frank Wagner]

Hello Dominic,

any news about this annoying issue?

By the way, did you get an information about how much time Cisco will take to solve the Bugs you mentioned

or when they are planning to roll out a new firmware for the phone / WLC, in which these bugs are wiped out?

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Hi Frank

actually we are waiting for the cabling guy, we need to place some more access points.

Concerning the new phone load we got bad news. Cisco is now working on phone load 1.4.x and has not planned to release a firmware for a pico cell environment at the moment. Maybe if the new release is out, they will come back to these bugs.

Regards

Dominic

[Frank Wagner]

Hello Dominic,

ok, then I'm very strained, if you can solve your problems completely by (only) adding more access points.

I think, this will help improving the behavior, but it won't help to solve the problems completely.

We already have a cell overlap of 20 % minimum, but the phone simply doesn't work correct all the time.

Well, I think there's a bug, either in firmware of WLC or AP (not in phone, because it's same behavior with 7925 and 7921),

because when you are watching the neighbor list during a call and sometimes the phone doesn't see the next access point to roam to,

how should it roam to it?

The bugs you mentioned, are these all bugs from the phone firmware, or also bugs from WLC or access points?

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Hi Frank

you are absolutely right, we also see these "working issues" of the phone and are sure, that only with more coverage, it won't solve our problems. We are trying to force Cisco for a customized phone load, but this will not happen in the next weeks or months, I think.

But I am happy to hear that also other are facing this problem, because we thought that we are alone with these "phenomena".

These bugs where only on the phone side, no bugs on the WLC or LAP side.

Regards

Dominic

[Frank Wagner]

Honestly, I don't know if WE have enough weeks or months, to overlook these issues.

My executive board has already instructed my to proove a dismounting of the whole wlan infrastructure.

Hopefully Cisco comes over with an solution, before they loose their patience.

Because the real sufferers are the distributor, who is not able to help for Cisco's failures an spend extra money and time

and the customer who spend a lot of money and time for an infrastructure and product that doesn't work correctly.

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Not only you are facing this problem, we are spending a lot of time and money to extend the wlan coverage and are not sure if we can solve it. Also our customer is not happy at all and want to see improvements, but this is not happening at the moment.

[Frank Wagner]

Hello Dominic,

any news concerning this issue?

Did the additional access points help improving the situation?

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Hi Frank

last week the cabling guy moved some access points and this week they are going to install the new, additional ones.

We expect to be ready for testing in 2 weeks, sorry for still not providing any other news. After these tests we decide how to move on.

Did you hear something from your side, Cisco or network specialist?

Regards

Dominic

[Frank Wagner]

We are waiting for a meeting proposal for the visit of the Cisco wlan engineer.

[Frank Wagner]

Hello Dominic,

does your testing make progress?

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Hi Frank

my colleague was there yesterday and tested the hole campus. We added 15 access points and on the floors and corridors we have a good coverage now that improved the voice gaps.

On the other hand we still have some gaps in the stairways around the elevator, because the phone does not roam as aggressive as we need it.

What about your problems?

Regards

Dominic

[Frank Wagner]

Hello Dominic,

our problems are still there, no improvements.

We don't get a Cisco SE within the next weeks.

And Cisco TAC is requesting debugs, protocols and so on and we are delivering debugs, protocols and so on

and then they are requesting and we are delivering and so on and so on.

It's really annoying......

Greetings Frank

[Dominic Stalder (old profile)]

Hi Frank

exactly the same experience as we had during the time of the case. It was really annoying but when we had contact to the Vice president of Cisco, suddenly there was a movement and we ware able to get two really good Cisco experts on place.

Regards

Dominic

[muranskycotech]

Not to question any of the Cisco folks you've worked with, but by chance have they had you run the WLC Configuration Analyzer tool on your WLC?

https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-1373

I just ask because I happened to stumble upon this thread as I was dealing with a couple of my own wireless issues, and I know this utility's advice helped me solve most of the ones I was having.