Clients connecting to random access points - firmware 25.14

[dmo1]

Hello,

Since updating to firmware 25.14 on my MR33 ap's, my machines are connecting to access points nowhere near to them, e.g. they can be sat below an access point, less than 2 metres, but connect to another access point across the building with a very weak signal some 40-60m away. I have done a selective reboot of some access points, but still machines will reconnect to them, or an access point slightly closer, but not the one they are literally sat below. Performing a full reboot of all access points at the end of last year showed better results, but I shouldn't have to keep doing this.

The access points (11 in total) have been in place for 2 years now, and we've not experienced this before. Any ideas on what is going on, or what config I should play with to stop this, or is it related to the last firmware update?

Thanks in advance!

[dmo1]

Done some more research and found that 25.14 is no longer available and 25.13 is the 'stable' release, so I'm downgrading to that tonight. Very disappointed this wasn't offered automatically.

[NolanHerring · Accepted solution]

Sorry you had those issues. 25.14 came out and it was quickly discovered that it was causing random access points to essentially stop broadcasting their SSID so clients couldn't see them. This may be what you were seeing, so clients were connecting to the access points that they 'could' see.

It was removed from stable because of this and now 25.13 is back as the choice you should use. I agree it is frustrating, and I personally feel that they should have contacted/emailed any network admins that had any networks operating on 25.14, to inform them of the situation to have them downgrade when they had a window.

[dmo1]

HI Nolan,

thank you - that completely makes sense now and is the behaviour we're seeing. You're right about an email to admins, this would have saved a lot of head scratching and testing! I'm downgrading out of hours tonight to 25.13, so hopefully this will resolve it for me.

Thanks again!

[JohnPaul]

We have this exact issue! 

Recently we added a new SSID, and a day or two later we get complaints that users are not able to see the guest SSID anymore. It was on random APs. We rebooted those and for now its working.

I would like to formalize this with a Meraki case. Is there a KB article you can share? (does merkai even have those?)

[dmo1]

I don't see that there is a knowledge base, but have discovered this in the release notes of 25.14 which has now been withdrawn/off display as a stable release, and 25.13 is back in place. Best thing to do is raise a support case I believe.

• Condition under investigation that may result in SSID's ceasing to broadcast (802.11ac Wave 2 MRs)
• Condition under investigation that causes VoIP RTP packet loss (MR42/MR52/MR53)
• Condition under investigation causes 2.4GHz radios to become unresponsive (MR32/MR72)
• Condition under investigation causes radios to become unresponsive for 5 seconds in high density networks (MR34/MR32/MR72/MR26)
• Condition under investigation causes lower than expected throughput on the 2.4GHz radio (MR26/MR34)

We had the same happen at another site, so also rolled back to 25.13 and all is fine again. I'd downgrade your access points at the earliest opportunity and save battling with 25.14.