WORKAROUND: Offline SM Devices (iOS + Meraki Network) are not really offline

[PeterJames]

Hi All,

We have had reports from three customers using Meraki network (APs+Network) where SM Devices go offline and do not come back on. Our devices are in Kiosk Mode so nobody has changed anything on the network side.

Our fix is to take the devices off site, re-create the same SSID and magically the SM Devices come back online after one or two restarts.

This is not something I can log with support as they would simply say it is a network issue or that they cannot see anything wrong at their end.

We have over 100+ devices in this state and any advice from Meraki would be grateful.

Thank you,

Peter James

[PeterJames]

FYI: P/N 647392446434618064 is one that I rescued this morning.

Meraki Switches, APs and SM.

Between 1030-1050 BST we had to take this off the customers site and on to a hotspot. Working fine again now.

[PhilipDAth]

It sounds to me like some critical communication is being blocked.

Is there anything doing firewalling between the device with SM and the Internet?

[PeterJames]

Hi @PhilipDAth ,

That was my first thought, but this has never been an issue and the fix is very odd.

For example for my example the other 3 devices at the same site were completely fine.

I have tested this fix over half a dozen times now and the same result; success. After being on a non-meraki internet connection, it checks in and everything is fine again.

I do get the feeling iOS devices need to activate every year in the background, and something along the Meraki framework is detected by Apple as possible proxy  (https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT210060) and disconnecting it along the way.

In one case 90%+ of a customer devices went offline; only the newer ones remained connected. We are in the process of fixing these now. And the fix works.

Thank you,

Peter James