Client association issues across different locations

[LopezJ]

Good afternoon,

I am experiencing a recurring issue with clients who connect to an SSID at one location. These clients need to switch to another location that has the same SSID but a different scope. However, when they return to the original location, they can no longer connect to the SSID, even though they were able to do so previously.

We are using Meraki MR52 and MR44 access points. Any ideas on what might be happening? In the Meraki dashboard, it shows an association error with the SSID, but no additional details are provided, and nothing shows up in RADIUS logs.

Regards, 

Thanks, 

[Mloraditch]

I suspect you may have slightly different encryption settings between the two sites. Perhaps one is WPA3 transition and the other is WPA2 (this is just an example)? Devices will discover the specific encryption of an ssid when they first join and save it. They will not be able to connect to an identically named SSID with different encryption without forgetting the ssid.

[LopezJ]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply

In this case we are using WAP2 at both sites.

[PhilipDAth]

What kind of client device?  Windows 11?  iPad?  Android tablet?

What kind of authentication?  802.11x?  WPA2-PSK

And to be clear, you are saying they are failing to associate to the WiFi when they return to the original location, as opposed to being able to associate and some other step (like DHCP) failing?

What does Wireless Health report?

[LopezJ]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply

It is a Windows 11 and is authenticated with 802.11x WAP2 at both sites.

[cmr]

I had something similar when I changed an SSID from WPA3 to WPA2.  A Windows 11 client that remembered it would then try to connect, fail, prompt for the password, connect for 10-15 seconds and fail again.  As @Mloraditch said, forgetting the SSID on the Windows 11 device and finding it again fixed the problem.