APs lose connection when dropped into different AP groups

[rcarswell]

Hi,

I have multiple AP (MSM422 and MSM317) groups created with four separate VLANs all bound to four VSCs on a MSM750 controller.  MGMT VLAN untagged, AP traffic tagged, LAN port used - Internet port not used.  Also, separate DHCP device with five scopes, no authentication or access control.  APs get the proper dhcp address and I can get out to internet.  All is well until; when I move an AP from one AP group to another it goes through it's re-sync, downloads the settings for that AP group, appears to get the new settings but then dies and the status light goes grey.  I was using firmware 5.5.3 and then downgraded to 5.4.2.  No luck with 5.5.3 but when I downloaded to 5.4.2 I was able to move an AP from the default group to one of my AP groups and it re-synched and the status light stayed green, but when I moved it from one AP group to another AP group it ended at status light grey.  I have to manually reset the AP to get it to show up again and then it re-syncs and status light goes green for whatever AP group it is in at the time.  Any ideas what would stop an AP from re-synching when moved to another AP group?  Thanks

[ISoliman]

Is the Management traffic for all teh groups in the same VLAN or different VLANs ??

[rcarswell]

Mgmt traffic for all the APs is on the same vlan.  On the switch, the port the AP is attached to is untagged on the mgmt vlan and tagged on the 4 vlans that correspond to each AP group I have.  The feed going to this switch is also untagged on the mgmt vlan and tagged on the 4 vlans.  When I plug in a fresh AP is gets an IP on the mgmt vlan and is in the default AP group, when I move it to an AP group it dies.  Power cycling the AP does not bring it back; I have to manually reset it with a paper clip, it comes back suspicious, I accept it and it gets an IP on the mgmt vlan and when I connect to it wirelessly I get an IP from the proper dhcp scope proving that the AP is working for that particular AP group.  Mgmt vlan IP is 192.168.0.0 / 23 and AP group IP for one of the AP groups is 192.168.104.0 / 21.  Not sure if this different netmask could be an issue.  Something else that happens is that when I pull the power on an AP that is already in a group and plug it back in, it doesn't come back.  When I delete it from a group it doesn't come back.  Only way to get it back is to manually reset it and them it comes back in the default group.  One thing I did on the DHCP server was give it option 43 to support colubirs APs but nothing changed.  There must be something fundamentally wrong with my setup?  Any help would be greatly appreciated

This is the system log when I tried to move an AP.

Feb 28 11:03:07 debug maestro_sc [78:E3:B5:44:1E:B8] report: coordination keep alive failure. Feb 28 11:03:07 debug mapconf [78:E3:B5:44:1E:B8] removing MAP upon maestro request.

Feb 28 11:02:15 debug iprulesmgr Updated the association of station (mac-address='00:10:F3:04:05:0B') attached to (virtual-ap-index='1', interface-name='eth1', vlan='0').

Feb 28 11:00:25 debug statspoller [78:E3:B5:44:1E:B8]: Stopping polling AP at 169.254.0.5

This is what the log says for the AP I moved from the default group to one I created.

Date & Time Category Operation Status

2012-02-28 11:03:07 Controlled AP Discovery Death

2012-02-28 11:00:21 Controlled AP Coordination Config mismatch

2012-02-28 10:57:50 Controlled AP Coordination Config unsynched

[ISoliman]

This is affecting both MSM types ??

I would recommend logging a case with HP so they can review the config and see if it is somehow config issue or software bug.

[rcarswell]

Yes, MSM422 and MSM317.  I do have a case open. 

[rcarswell]

I had to disable the provisioning at the AP group level in my setup to allow APs to be dropped into different AP groups.  The next issue is how to set up HTML login page for public access.  The manual is not very specific, with bits and pieces.  Does anyone know the main parts you require to make this work?  Thanks

[ISoliman]

VSC should be Access Controlled.

use the internet port as the exit interface (default route) to the internet for the clients.

If you have 1 controller then enable the DHCP server and configure the scope under the VSC, if not then configure DHCP rely.

Configure the DNS on the Controller and make sure it is reachable from the controller.

The traffic will go from the client to the AP, then the AP will tunnel it to the controller which will then route it to the internet port (make sure to create default route pointing to the next hop connected to the internet port).

Enable NAT under the Internet port  so that the DHCP scope configure under the VSC will only be known by the controller and any traffic going out will be nated using the Internet port IP address.

There are other ways to do that, for more info check the implementation guide for the MSM products (Different than the config guide)