No clients can connect periodicly (MR18)

[Robert2]

MR18 running 25.14

* 2.4 GHz band only

* Bridge mode (no vlan)

* 802.11r disabled

* 802.11w disabled

* Minimum bitrate is 1Mbps

Periodicly no clients can connect to the SSID configured. It is being broadcasten, all clients can see the SSID but even though you enter the correct WPA2 password, clients do not authenticate. This for every device, phones, Sonos, printers, laptops.

From the dashboard i can see and manage the AP, and also see, no clients is connected. A simpel AP reboot solves it for a while (1,2 or 3 days).So the ethernet connection is working.

Tried replacing the AP, PoE adaptor and network cables.

Links to pcap files, when the issue ishappening:

https://axelkaufmann-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/rv_kaufmann_dk/EQMb4dZHrWxNuqLpC7lRw5MBtWmQQEo...

https://axelkaufmann-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/rv_kaufmann_dk/ERWfnhvtYehCjnM3QN5b3BcBvH-FTDh...

https://axelkaufmann-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/rv_kaufmann_dk/EamHaQHN2dlJil0BDaD8GccBGBod66o...

Any good clues?

Regards

Robert

[NolanHerring]

It's a firmware issue in my honest opinion. If you are able to get support to downgrade you to the latest 24.X code, you'll have far fewer issues. Otherwise, the easiest solution is to setup a scheduled reboot say every 48 hours during off-times etc., until your able to get a newer model or until support comes out with a 25.X code that is actually stable for MR16/MR18.

[Robert2]

I also think, it is a firmware issue, but i feel my support case will be long, as the person assigned asks questions regarding my equitment rather finding the root cause.

I have many MR18 running the same firmware, and have not seen this issue before.

Do you have many issues with 25.x versions?

[NolanHerring · Accepted solution]

I had issues but managed to get all the old MR16/MR18 gear removed. Issues would be where the AP would broadcast the SSID but wouldn't actually accept clients connecting (creating a blackhole), or where the AP would stop broadcasting all together. Case opened for like a year and I gave up and just started rebooting each AP once a week via script/API.

https://community.meraki.com/t5/Developers-APIs/Python-Script-Rebooting-Devices/m-p/49576

[Robert2]

Thanks for the script. I will test it.

Yep, Meraki is very slow to fix issues, but i am not able to replace my MR18´s ... 😞

[randhall]

Definitely a firmware issue that I'm intimately familiar with. We saw it on 2.4 and 5. Scripted reboots alleviate some pain as a last resort. If you are able, use a static channel plan on 2.4 and 5 and avoid DFS channels.

If you are able, try 26.6. The release notes include a fix that sounds suspiciously on target:

• Unexpected beacon behavior & instability following a channel change (802.11ax MRs)

(Don't believe the ax-only business. I don't think that's true as other fixes are labeled that way when they seem to impact non-ax APs.)

Fortunately, we were able to divest ourselves of our MR18 inventory.

[pjc]

MR18 is not an old model, end of sale was only 2017.  It's bugs like these (if it is as a result of a bug introduced in new firmware) that worry me, and with end of support at 2024 for this model we shouldn't have to bin these older models or have them firmware locked.  I still have a few MR16's, again firmware locked because of a bug introduce in 25.x

I hopeful that the firmware release quality control improves significantly in the future

[NolanHerring]

---

@pjc wrote:

MR18 is not an old model, end of sale was only 2017.  It's bugs like these (if it is as a result of a bug introduced in new firmware) that worry me, and with end of support at 2024 for this model we shouldn't have to bin these older models or have them firmware locked.  I still have a few MR16's, again firmware locked because of a bug introduce in 25.x

I hopeful that the firmware release quality control improves significantly in the future

---

Sorry, I meant 'old' in the sense that it is old gear within my realm of what we are using, being replaced with MR33s etc. I suppose from a tech perspective they are 'old' in the sense that they are only 802.11n, but in reality I agree they are not that old and should still be fully functional with firmware that supports it.

In my experience, mix of several hundred MR16 and MR18, the moment we moved from 24.X to 25.X is when we started having issues and the only time we didn't, was when they were replaced with MR33s.

The only way I see this being fixed is if they actually do some deep-dive root cause analysis. I attempted to assist them with this and provided packet captures, and went out of my way to show them what the issue was (at the time it was basically the AP not sending any Association Response frames after receiving Association Requests, which was fixed by rebooting the AP or changing the radio channel to another one which effectively 'rebooted' the radio).  The response I got was always the same....upgrade to latest firmware.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, how can a new firmware magically have a fix for a problem, if you refuse to actually figure out what the problem is?

It basically just became easier for me to have them upgraded hardware wise than trying to wrestle with them on it.

[Robert2]

As long as we have a support contract on these AP´s they should work just a good as any other AP from Meraki.

But thats not the case and my feeling is, thay are more busy launching new products, than fixing existing issues with "legacy" AP´s if we can call a MR18 legacy.

I have asked support to downgrade the AP18 to the latest 24.x firmware. Then we see if this solves my problems.

And i agree with others, that the stability on MR18 with the latest firmware is bad.

I have provided suppoirt pcap files 3 times now, when there is a issue clearly showing clients trying to connect, but nothing happens until the AP is rebooted. Why on earth do they not forward this to enginering.

Anyway ... if this continues to be a issue, at next licens renewal we are forced to look at other venders.

[randhall]

---

@NolanHerring wrote:The only way I see this being fixed is if they actually do some deep-dive root cause analysis. I attempted to assist them with this and provided packet captures, and went out of my way to show them what the issue was (at the time it was basically the AP not sending any Association Response frames after receiving Association Requests, which was fixed by rebooting the AP or changing the radio channel to another one which effectively 'rebooted' the radio).

---

Stupid bug tricks:

Take a look at your pcaps and note the mismatches in the HT and DS Channels in beacons (from memory, could be wrong).

Take a look at your local config page and you'll see the AP claiming to be on one channel and the dashboard reports another.

[Robert2]

Thanks, will check this.

[Robert2]

The AP is now downgraded to 24.8 and for now it is looking better. The devices have been connected for over 24 hours now without issues.

[Chris_Watkins]

I still have multiple MR16's and 1 MR18 with this issue of nothing will connect until they are rebooted, then they work fine for a few days.
We've been manually rebooting them a couple times per week for over a year, but it's a royal pain.
Is it possible to revert the firmware only on the 16's & 18's and keep the newer firmware on the newer AP's?
How do I get the older firmware?