topic RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid in ExtremeWireless (Identifi)

iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Will3 — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 19:55:00 GMT

So I have had a problem with iPads losing internet randomly during the day at an Elementary school. I have 2 C35 controllers with 3825 aps running firmware version 10.31.04.0009. It seems that everyday almost a bunch of classrooms have there iPads just start spinning while loading something. The iPads are still connected to the AP with good signal, but will not ping gateway or anything until I either disconnect and reconnect from the wifi or do a hard reset on the iPad. It has been a hard problem to trouble shoot because every time it happens I hear about it afterwards or they are working by the time I get there. This problem has become frustrating to teachers and students because it will happen during the middle of testing sometimes also.

I guess I am just wondering if anyone has had similar problems and come up with any solutions. I have opened tickets in the past for this. It seems we change something and it works for a couple days so we assume it is working but then I start hearing the same thing again.

Thanks for the help.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

John_Romero — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:10:00 GMT

I am having this same issue, it also happens with Apple phones. I hope someone has a fix for this as I have a bunch of not so happy college students.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

JP4 — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:10:00 GMT

What firmware are you running ?

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

John_Romero — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:10:00 GMT

10.21.03.0010

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Laura — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:15:00 GMT

It could be the application itself? We have iPads in our classrooms and, I have seen the iPad connect to the wifi and can get out to Google, but when they open downloaded applications, it will freeze. Or the kids have tons of apps open at one time.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Ronald_Dvorak — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:48:00 GMT

What kind of privacy and authentication is set for the WLAN service and is MFP enabled or disabled.
What topology is used.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Laura — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:48:00 GMT

What does MFP do?

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Ronald_Dvorak — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:48:00 GMT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11w-2009

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Ronald_Dvorak — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:48:00 GMT

I'd disable it as some clients don't "like" it.

Here a example...
https://community.extremenetworks.com/extreme/topics/some-clients-unable-receive-ip

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Ronald_Dvorak — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:48:00 GMT

https://gtacknowledge.extremenetworks.com/articles/Solution/Certain-devices-not-connecting-to-WPA2-P...

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Evan_Kuckelheim — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:54:00 GMT

Please make sure that your ap radio's are configured appropriately for the environment.

https://gtacknowledge.extremenetworks.com/articles/Q_A/What-are-the-best-radio-settings-for-my-envir...

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Steve_Ballantyn — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:54:00 GMT

100% agree with this ... I made these recommended changes across the board a few months and it resolved a lot of glitches in my environment. Remember that "auto" settings with your AP's typically means "out of the box setting" not necessarily "the best setting for most people".

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Volker_Kull — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:56:00 GMT

We figured out that IOS does not reauthenticate after leaving sleeping mode. Coming up on a different AP the session is still alive on the past AP. For this case we limit the session timeout to 30-60min . Than the IOS device is triggered to do a full reauthentication after sleeping mode. Br Volker

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

John_Romero — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:56:00 GMT

Where you set the Session Timeout?

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

John_Romero — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 03:33:00 GMT

I am not using WPA so MFP doesn't apply. We are MAC authenticating. The Session Timeout seems to be a good option, where is that setting?

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Volker_Kull — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 09:27:00 GMT

You can configure session timeout in the WLAN service >advanced. So you configure it per service and not for the entire system. br Volker

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Will3 — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 01:49:00 GMT

I am going to try this, we were set at the default of 0. I will post back when I get results.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Will3 — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 18:08:00 GMT

So changing the session timeout did not help the problem. Most classrooms still have to either restart their iPads or just shut off and turn on the wifi to get the connection to wake up. It always happens after waking the iPads from sleep.

RE: iPads drop internet connection while retaining connection to ssid

Doug — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 20:19:00 GMT

Another setting we have seen cause issues with the apples is having UAPSD enabled. When the ipad comes out of sleep mode you need to manually connect back up to the SSID.