MR44 / connected Apple devices OS not being displayed in the "Client Type, OS" column correctly

[ethan_isenberg]

We use the MR44 access point at all locations.

All connected Apple devices are now being identified in the "Client Type, OS" column as "Apple", "MAC OS X 10.15" or "Other" The column no longer displays the current MAC OS for these Apple devices as of about three months ago. Prior to that the correct version of OS was displayed. Did Apple change something on their side or is the a meraki dashboard bug?

[alemabrahao]

Meraki utilizes client fingerprinting to identify devices connecting to its network. This process uses various techniques, including inspecting DHCP requests and HTTP headers, to determine the device type (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows, Mac). While generally accurate, it's not foolproof and may sometimes misidentify devices, especially less common or older models. 

[alemabrahao]

Apple devices began using randomized MAC addresses for Wi-Fi connections starting with iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur. This affects how devices are identified at the network level because each connection could appear as a different device (even though it’s the same physical device).

 Apple might also modify or limit the amount of system information (like the OS version) it includes in the HTTP headers or DHCP requests, which could impact Meraki’s ability to accurately identify macOS versions.

https://www.extremenetworks.com/resources/blogs/wi-fi-mac-randomization-privacy-and-collateral-damag...

[ethan_isenberg]

From day 1 I disabled randomized MAC address on these iPads on the dedicated SSID so I could keep track of them in the dashboard and so I could deny them access to other SSIDs

[ethan_isenberg]

These are brand new iPads - when initially introduced to a dedicated SSID the IOS was being identified by the meraki dashboard correctly for about 1.5 years. Then about three months ago without any changes the dashboard started identifying the IOS as "Mac OS X 10.15"