Massive roaming problems with RFS6000 and 4.3.4

[SMuehli]

Hi there,

I've a customer with 30 AP300 and 2 WS5100 with 2.1. 70 MUs (WT4090, 802.11a, WPA/WPA2) are connected and working properly.
He's now increasing his storage an needs new APs. Unfortunatly the AP300 ist EOL so I decided to use the AP650 and make the Motorola Trade-In for the WS5100.
So, I've installed the RFS6000. (1 working, 1 hot spare)
Since then there a massive roaming and speed problems!

I've tried everything, inclusive the workaround which comes offical from Motorola: Reduce the Basic-Rates to 6, Supported Rates only up to 11 MBit. Handshake retransmit timeout 300 retries 5.

I think the speed problem comes from the handshaking, I've reduced the timeout to 250 and the reties to 2.
This worked better, the speed is almost similar with the WS5100. But the roaming problems are still
there (dot11ifailure, reason code 15, 4 way handhake problem).
Now I've enabled the smart RF because these seems to work a bit better, but it's far away from Ok!

Whats wrong with the RFS6000? Or ist ist 4.3.4? Or is it me?   

I don't understand whats happening because the whole installation worked with the WS5100 with 2.1.

One issue (for me) could be the radio frequencies. On 2.1 every 5GHz Channel was available (in Germany).
With 4.3.4 only the channels 36-48 are available.

[SMuehli]

More information:
The handshake error seems to happen in waves!
Mean: The wlan is working properly for maby 45 minutes or more and then the problem begins!
Is there a cache or somethin else on the RFS which could be filled and, when full, cause these problems?
The dashboard says everything is ok, temperature 23 degress celsius, memorey usage 50%, cpu usage near 0% line.

[Michael McNamara]

Hi SMuehli and welcome to the forums!

You're the second person to report a problem between the WT4090 and the RFS6000 (v4.3.4).

Unfortunately I don't have any WT4090s in my network so I can comment directly. It is surprising since both devices are Motorola (formerly Symbol) devices so there shouldn't be any finger pointing between the mobile unit and the wireless infrastructure.

Have you contacted Motorola support? Have they been of any assistance?

If you have the equipment a wireless packet trace would probably be the best place to start. I'm assuming if you remove the encryption/authentication and run open the problem disappears?

Cheers!

[SMuehli]

Hi Micheal,

if you mean the post in your blog -  that was me too 

Im dealing with Symbol since 2002. Started with the AP4121 and WSS1060. WEB with Keyguard, then switched to the AP4131 and later the 5131. My first installation with Switches WS5100 was these costumer that now has these problems with the RFS6000.
Two years ago, (Summer 2010) I've had an installation (other customer) with 4 RFS4000 as Cluster, 18 AP300. This worked fine for about 6 months an then the same problem starts! We don't know what to do anymore so we engaged the "fireman" from Motorola with Name A.C. (maybe you know him). He even don't know what to do!
He started checking the config - was Ok. Scanning the LAN - seems Ok. Scanning the WLan - seems ok . . .
Then, the "wave" of problems started and we tried to find out why. What he found was the following:
1 Mu is on AP1, Channel 36 then roams to AP2, Channel 40. But, the mu is sending its goodbye to AP1 on channel 40, not on channel 36! Then it became problems with the handshake to AP2, sometimes its loosing the connection (disassociated from AP, reason code 15) sometimes the connection could reestablished new and it works. These are the speed problems, because it takes some seconds to reauthenticate . . .

The only thing to get this WLan working was to reduce from WPA to WEP. Then it worked without any problems.
AC take the protocolls and them to the Moto-Headquarter. I've neve rheard anything about that....

In Dezember 2010 I had another installation with 3 RFS4000, 12 AP300 this worked fine, no problems!

And now this!

The problem with Moto is: We don't have a service contract (why, when it works, it works ). For the start you have 90 days of service included. The problem ist now: Moto starts counting when the RFS is leaving Moto, not when it arrives the costumer!
It seems that this RFS was about 2 months in the distributors shelf bevor I bought it. . .
And now, the 90 days are gone . . .

I think, I must switch back to the WS5100 before my customer starts to hate me . . . .

[SMuehli]

So, I'm back from my customer. Switched back to WS5100 and everythings works again without problems!
I think the firmware 4.3.4 could/must be the issue, but I don't know. I think I would return these switches to the distributor, buy a RFS4000 and build an isolatedt area with AP650 at the new storage und dont touch the old one again.

[Michael McNamara]

Well I have a service contract and I'm not sure that helps much either...

I would agree that I've seen some very odd problems myself... these problems were with Spectralink VoIP wireless phones. On the RFS7000 (4.3.4) the call quality was terrible.. on a WS5100 v3.x the call quality was excellent (this was using all AP300s).

I'm not sure what the story is but it's difficult trying to resolve it when the manufacturer doesn't seem at all interested in looking at the problem.

[Wasabi]

Good afternoon!
I've a problem with RFS6000 + AP300 (FW 4.3.3) & MU MC3190 (bad roaming and ping MU--> gateway 1000ms)

Wireless config:

 secure-wispe-default-secret 0 defaultS
 wlan 1 enable
 wlan 1 description warehouse
 wlan 1 ssid WH
 wlan 1 vlan 2100
 wlan 1 encryption-type tkip
 wlan 1 dot11i phrase 0 4735382938
 radio add 1 5C-0E-8B-12-F6-13 11bg ap300   (port mac -as example)
 radio 1 radio-number 1
 radio 1 speed  basic1 basic5p5 basic11 basic24 36 48 54
 radio 1 channel-power indoor 1 16

MU log:

17:51:04  Associated to 5C-0E-8B-12-F6-13
17:51:21  Key negotiation timeout.                    <---  !!!
17:51:27  Using profile: WH
17:51:27  Setting SSID: WH
17:51:29  Associated to 5C-0E-8B-12-F6-13
17:51:29  Authentication not required.
17:51:29  Negotiating keys.
17:51:29  Connected to network.
17:51:33  IP Address: 192.168.2.175

RSF Log:

%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx associated to radio 2 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11IFAILURE: Station xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx failed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1
%CC-6-STATIONUNASSOC: Station xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx un-associated from radio 2 wlan 1 : dot11i 4way handshake timeout (reason code 15)

%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy associated to radio 2 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11IFAILURE: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy failed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1
%CC-6-STATIONUNASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy un-associated from radio 2 wlan 1 : dot11i 4way handshake timeout (reason code 15)

%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station zz-zz-zz-zz-zz-zz associated to radio 8 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11ISUCCESS: Station zz-zz-zz-zz-zz-zz completed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1

%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx associated to radio 8 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11ISUCCESS: Station xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx completed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1

%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy associated to radio 1 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy associated to radio 1 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11IFAILURE: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy failed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1
%CC-6-STATIONUNASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy un-associated from radio 1 wlan 1 : dot11i 4way handshake timeout (reason code 15)
%CC-6-STATIONASSOC: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy associated to radio 8 wlan 1 vlan 2100
%CC-6-DOT11ISUCCESS: Station yy-yy-yy-yy-yy-yy completed dot11i (tkip/ccmp) handshake on wlan 1

Ideas? 
radio 1 AP300 cable trouble? 
radio 2 AP300 cable trouble? 
radio 8 AP300 good cable?! 

[SMuehli]

Oh oh!
It seems that me and my problems are not alone!

Have you reduced the speed to 6MBits?
Have you tried to change the retransmit limit and time?

What happend to your installation that these problem occurs?

[Wasabi]

Oh oh!
It seems that me and my problems are not alone!

Have you reduced the speed to 6MBits?
Have you tried to change the retransmit limit and time?

What happend to your installation that these problem occurs?

I did't change speed & retransmit limits.
I've migration WS5100 6AP 300 to RFS6000 8 AP300 in this project

[SMuehli]

Hi Wasabi,
I know that this won't help you, but I'm using 5.2.1 and AP650 without any issues! No problems - even the roaming form WS5100/AP300 to RFS6000/AP650 works fine!

I've installed antother customer with RFS4000/5.2.2/10 AP6532 and 25 WT4090 - this worked fine, too.
But I've to switch of the intereference, neighbour-recovery und coverage-hole in the smart rf.

I think the problem is the AP300 with 4.3.4!
It's not the WT4090!

Another customer of me is using 4.3.2 (RFS4000) and this is working fine.

Maybe yo try to go back to 4.3.2 and retry this! Or try the retransmit, see my first post.

Btw: Have you switched off the firewall?

[Wasabi]

Firewall is disable. I use only ACL & WPA2/TKIP(AES)
I will change firmwire version and try secondary boot img.
I didn't have problems in the previous projects like this with Moto RFS 

[SMuehli]

Hi Wasabi

four days are gone..... Do have something new? Have you tried 4.3.2?

[Wasabi]

Dear SMuehli!
On object we have 6 old AP300 and 2 new (migrate WS5100 6 AP to WS6000 8 AP)
We are disable all old APs & looking how work 2 new APs. It's work perfectly. Pings 3-4 ms & no roaming troubles. Customer IT dept monitoring it now. If I have news, I will write them!

[EdRe]

Hello, I have also the same problem with a RFS6000 firmare:V5.2.12 and Ap300, that the clients get disconnected when they are roaming. I have a motorola contract, but the haven't been able to present me an solution. Have you allready found a solution for this problem? With the WS5100 there where no problems. Please help me..