topic Re: mDNS not working with AP230 in ExtremeWireless (IQE)

mDNS not working with AP230

GavinC — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:29:55 GMT

I'm currently a Ubiquiti user, looking to move house and will need better wireless coverage. So I've purchased (used) 3 Aerohive AP230 access points to replace my single Unifi AP-AC-Lite, and configured them with the free ExtremeCloud IQ Connect tier, updated to the latest 10.4r4 firmware, etc.

So far almost everything is working well; the SSIDs, PSKs, VLANs etc are all matched up so one of the APs is a drop-in replacement for each other as far as clients. If I plug in the Unifi and unplug the AP230 clients connect to the Unifi, swap them around and after a few seconds everything reconnects back to the AP230.

The only issue I currently have is printing. My printer only does 2.4GHz wireless so it's on the separate "IoT" SSID/VLAN from my laptop/desktop. My firewall (OPNsense) runs an mDNS repeater across these two VLANs so devices can be located, and the firewall rules allow all traffic into the IoT VLAN. With the Unifi AP connected and all my devices connected to their SSIDs on this access point, mDNS works. I am able to ping my printer through its .local hostname, I can print via AirPrint, it shows up in an mDNS browser (for example the HE.net Network Tools app).

However, as soon as I unplug the Unifi and plug in the AP230, mDNS breaks. I can still ping the printer by IP address (so it's connecting OK) but the .local hostname no longer resolves, AirPrint shows the printer as offline, and the HE.net app no longer shows it.

I'm aware that because I'm on the free tier of Extreme Cloud IQ, I don't have the "Bonjour Gateway" functionality available to me - however I believe that because my firewall is doing the mDNS repeating between VLANs, I don't think I need this functionality because I don't also need the AP to be repeating mDNS traffic between VLANs? Is that correct?

Anyone have any ideas where I could look to try and diagnose this, as a complete Aerohive/Extreme newbie? Thanks!

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

AreckD — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:18:56 GMT

Hello,

Do you have a local DNS configured for the aps?

Also do you have the dhcp server for the scope configured to associate with that same DNS?

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

GavinC — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:07:15 GMT

> Do you have a local DNS configured for the aps?
> Also do you have the dhcp server for the scope configured to associate with that same DNS?

I turned off that setting (under Additional Settings) because that page says that it can have DNS servers assigned by DHCP; so as it's a DHCP client it gets the same DNS server as other devices on the "normal"/management VLAN. I've verified this is working how I expect by SSHing to the AP and pinging www.google.com successfully.

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

GavinC — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 20:33:02 GMT

Anyone have any more ideas here? I had to dig out my Unifi AP today as I was desperate to print something from my phone via AirPrint and replacing the AP was quicker than reconfiguring VLANs to get the 2.4GHz printer onto the regular VLAN with my 5GHz phone.

I haven't sat down and had a real good tcpdump session on this yet, but I intend to soon - if anyone else has seen this behaviour and can suggest things to look for, it's appreciated.

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

Ash_Finch — Tue, 03 May 2022 13:11:56 GMT

As a potential option go into the SSID > Additional settings (at the bottom of the SSID page, not the tab at the top) optional settings > customize > in the broadcast & multicast handling try disabling the ip multicast to unicast and untick the "enable non-essential broadcast filtering".

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

GavinC — Mon, 09 May 2022 22:27:38 GMT

> As a potential option go into the SSID > Additional settings (at the bottom of the SSID page, not the tab at the top) optional settings > customize > in the broadcast & multicast handling try disabling the ip multicast to unicast and untick the "enable non-essential broadcast filtering".

I've already tried these options in every combination and it didn't make a difference 😞

Re: mDNS not working with AP230

glassgenie — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 01:51:55 GMT

Were you ever able to get this working? I am fighting the same issue with flaky behavior on Google TVs right now. I believe part of the protocol is mDNS and that is the root of my issues.