Authentication Issue (EAPol Timeout) on WPA 2 PSK SSID

[Dhanushkah]

We are not use Authentication servers to authenticate wireless users.



Just use only WPA 2 encryption mode for authenticate wireless users.



But we identified there are lot of EAPol timeouts happened during the client authentication

What would be the issue for this EAPol timeouts 

Is this issue occurring from end user device or Access Point side ?

How Can we minimize this eapol timeout issue?

Guys Help me to rectify this issue

[ww]

Would first verify if your clients running latest  wifi drivers

[Dhanushkah]

Thank you ww for your reply....!

• This issue affects not only a few specific users.
• This issue randomly affects every user on each day and there are also devices with 802.11ax supported wireless adapters.
• If this can be avoided by updating the drivers, do we have to update the drivers of all the wireless devices?

If there is any specific configuration to rectify this issue from meraki dashboard end?

[WB]

If it's only affecting the same users each day I would be advising them to download the latest drivers from their Wi-Fi NIC manufacturers website e.g. Intel's website NOT updating via Windows update

[DarrenOC]

Hi @Dhanushkah , what version of MR firmware are your APs on?

You mention that this is happening across all users/devices albeit sporadically throughout the day? Are all devices the same model and build?

Yes you should look to upgrade drivers across the board.

[Dhanushkah]

• MR 36 - Current version: MR 28.6.1
• MR 52 - Current version: MR 28.6.1

This is an environment where legacy devices and latest devices are common.

Most of the laptops are HP and there are few other products.

External wireless adapters are also used for desktop PCs and connected to the wireless network.

However, this EAPoL timeout will affect every device.

[DimuthuS]

Enable 802.11r. It will fix the issue

[Dhanushkah]

Thanks @DimuthuS 

We already enable 802.11r for fast roaming. But it has not worked. Even though 802.11r is enabled for SSID, this eapol timeout continues.

[DimuthuS]

802.11r enabled with WPA1 and WPA2 ? or WPA2 only ?

What you see from the AP logs for the same time "Unknown Error" ?

[Dhanushkah]

Thanks @DimuthuS 

• 802.11r enabled with WAP2 only 

This is the two types of AP logs we identified  when users experience disconnection in the meraki dashboard

• auth_mode='wpa2-psk' vlan_id='16' reason='eapol_timeout' radio='1' vap='3' channel='56' rssi='20'
• auth_mode='wpa2-psk' vlan_id='13' reason='eapol_timeout' roam_ap='E4:55:A8:09:DD:36' radio='0' vap='0' channel='1' rssi='7'

[PhilipDAth]

My guess - it's probably as simple as they aren't very close to the WiFi network.  Perhaps they are walking out of the office, into the office, etc.

Perhaps they drive to the office and park outside.  Their devices can just barely see the WiFi, and get constant timeouts till they walk inside.

[Dhanushkah]

Thanks @PhilipDAth 

In  your case, timeout is a very normal thing,

• but the problem here is that the wireless connection of users who are in the same place without moving also timeout.

• To explain it in another way, in this environment, a user roams from one AP to another AP even when the user is in the same place without physically moving.

• After analyzing the user's timeline, we could see that even when the user is in the same place, he connects to several nearby APs within a few seconds, and this eapol timeout occurs when the user continuously jumping nearby APs

[BigForrest]

Hi,

I have a same problem with @Dhanushkah that random users on random days, our users can't connect WiFi even the AP is next to week they still can't connect. When I check the logs, it show error "reason='eapol_timeout", and user can't connect again. The workaround is we have to forget the network then re-authenticate again then it works but that happens only for few days then it happens again. Our NPS does show the user is authenticate and reply back. Any ideas? 

[AlexanderN]

Hi @Dhanushkah have you tried reviewing our new Wireless overview page (Wireless > Monitor > Overview) to drill down on specific problematic clients and find the root cause?

[AlexanderN]

Also, I just wanted to confirm if you are using just WPA2-PSK auth or something else like iPSK w/o RADIUS?