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Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

 
AReeves
Occasional Advisor

MSM765 and missing wireless services

Hello, All. I am running a MSM765zl module Integrated Controller with a mix of MSM310, MSM460 and MSM560 APs. recently (as in the last week as near as I can tell) my Controlled APs have stopped reporting their wireless services status to my Controller. There isn't any consistency as to why or which models and I've made NO changes to any configs of VSCs or other settings in the time since all worked properly. 

 

Has anyone else seen this and can they offer any advice? I've tried "Remove and Redicsover" on multiple APs (all models) to test and nothing changes. I am currently running software version 6.5.1.0-21733 on my controller.

 

Thanks!

8 REPLIES 8
RamKrish
Valued Contributor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

Greyed out radio icon generaly indicates that the communication between AP <> Controller is having hard time.  Based on my past experiences with many customers, it generally relates to congestion on the wired network which is limiting the ap<>controller communication.

It is best advised that APs are put in a seperate vlan for management purpose, putting APs and other common subnets (vlan) in same network exposes AP to unnecessary broadcast traffic which makes AP to process those unwanted broadcast traffic and causes overhead.

Also if you are tagging multiple VLANs on the switch port where APs connects to, avoid tagging unnecessary vlans such as vlan dedicated for wired network.  Most of the wired broadcast traffic reaching the AP triggers problems that you have posted here.  Once you have segregated vlans and limited the broadcast exposure on the switchport where APs are connected should help you to get rid of this issue.

 

Regards
Ram
AReeves
Occasional Advisor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

Thank you for the insight, that gives me something to look into. It's just weird that it started out of the blue and I've had no real changes in my network. This is a large 1Gbps network, with 60 access switches and 38 APs. 

Is it possible to migrate APs from the default VLAN1 to a dedicated management vlan in small groups as a test without disrupting the entire wireless infrastructure? I ask because this is a 24/7 operation so downtime is tough to come by.

RamKrish
Valued Contributor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

Yes, moving APs in a phased manner should possible.

1. Identify the vlan and subnet for the new AP management
2. Ensure this vlan/subnet is not used for any other purpose in the network except for AP management
3. Create the ip address scope in your DHCP server
4. Make sure the newly created ip scope is reachable from the controller. If the subnet is not reachable from the controller, then AP <> controller communication will not happen and AP will go offline.
5. In the DHCP ip scope, ensure to add DHCP Option 43 - this is the key step which will make the AP realize where the controller is.  Without this step, AP wont know the controller ip address. refer to attached screen snap and the tool to covert the decimal ip address into binary.  Run the Option43 tool from Windows command prompt.
6. Once you are ready with ip address and vlan, map one of the AP port to the newly created vlan
7. Reboot the AP (either manually or by POE method - enable/disable poe)
8. Now, once the AP reboots it should get ip address from new subnet (verify from your DHCP server if this is happening).  Once it received ip address, it should be able to find the controller via option 43.

Regards
Ram
AReeves
Occasional Advisor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

Thank You! This is great info and easy to follow. I'll give it a try and report back.

AReeves
Occasional Advisor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

I folowed your directions (thanks again!) and have tested with one of the troublesome APs (an msm560). The AP is now on a dedicated management vlan and gets it's assigned IP. It connects clients and they are able to connect to their respective SSID and resulting vlan. It still won't show wireless services nor wireless clients. Anythoughts?

AReeves
Occasional Advisor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

additonally, my console is throwing the following warning message, which I don't usually see:

warning monitord KEEP ALIVE failure on <SNMP>, restart process if runnin

RamKrish
Valued Contributor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

If its still not showing up the wireless service, there is good indication that the AP<>Communicaiton failure is not at its best.  Controller is not receiving all the information it required to populate the GUI.  So there must be something going on in the wired network causing excessive network traffic to be processed by the AP (on the wired side).

I suggest you to open up a support case to investigate further.

Additionaly you may check on the wired side (switch port) to see if there are too much of broadcast being sent/received on the ports or any other layer1/2 issues.

Regards
Ram
AReeves
Occasional Advisor

Re: MSM765 and missing wireless services

Finally have a few minutes to follow up.

 

I did a test of migrating one of my APs to a dedicated network as described above, which I would say is probably best practice after all. I inherited this network, so I'm moving in that direction anyway... HOWEVER, it didn't resolve this problem in this particular case.

 

I was finally able to schedule a maintenance window and perform a RESTART of the MSM765zl Module. When that completed, I was able to see radio services and client counts for 90% of my APs, with about 6 needing to be "rediscovered" and 1 slipped into "autonomous mode" and I reset it to defaults and re-adopted it. Now everything is functioning as expected.

 

Thanks for the guidance on the migration plan, it will be invaluable. It just wasn't the solution in this particular case.