Wireless Access

Hi!  I have about 40 IAP105's deployed throughout my small K-8 campus..   half of the campus is old with brick walls, and the other half is newer with metal walls and such..   I pretty much have an AP in every classroom and a few halls ways..  they are really close to one another..  but there are several locations where clients are experiencing si\gnal fluxuations..   They aren't AP bouncing, they seem to be causing the AP to adjust power whenever the client reachers the wierd spots..     we have PowerDsine 9024g POEI powering the AP's..  its wierd.. I could stand right under an AP and just move into a bathroom 6 feet away with no obvious interference and the signal bars on the client just keep going strong/weak/strong/weak..  fluxuating every 10 seconds or so.. 

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

 

On the IAP do you see a lot of power levels changes ?

 

What type of clients are you using?

 

What IAP OS you have installed?

 

Oh yes, lots and lots of power level changes....  Is that normal?

 

Of 150 clients, about 100 IOS... (ipads, iphones).. and 30-40 windows, and the rest android..

 

OS VERS: 

Name:	Aruba Operating System Software
Type:	105
Build Time:	2013-02-15 22:20:03 PST
Version:	6.2.0.0-3.2.0.2_37229

 

 

 

 

A lot of power level  or channel changes is not good, run the following commands this should give you an idea of what's going on in your environment :

 Go to Support > and then run these commands :

 

AP ARM Neighbors

AP ARM history

AP ARM RF Summary

AP Monitor AP Table

 

I can run those commands, but its all greek to me!   doesn't tell me anything..

 

But here it is:

 

*********************************************************************************************************
5/20/2013 12:27:39 PM Target: COUN1 Command: show ap arm history
*********************************************************************************************************

Interface :wifi0
ARM History
-----------
Time of Change Old Channel New Channel Old Power New Power Reason
-------------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- ------
2013-05-17 13:41:18 149+ 149+ 18 21 P+
2013-05-17 13:39:00 149+ 149+ 21 18 P-
2013-05-17 13:37:13 149+ 149+ Max 21 P-
Interface :wifi1
ARM History
-----------
Time of Change Old Channel New Channel Old Power New Power Reason
-------------- ----------- ----------- --------- --------- ------
2013-05-17 13:37:14 11 11 Max 21 P-
I: Interference, R: Radar detection, N: Noise exceeded, Q: Bad Channel Quality E: Error threshold exceeded, INV: Invalid Channel, G: Rogue AP Containment, M: Empty Channel, P+: Increase Power, P-: Decrease Power, 40INT: 40MHZ intol detected on 2.4G, NO40INT: 40MHz intol cleared on 2.4G, OFF: Turn off Radio, ON: Turn on Radio

*********************************************************************************************************
5/20/2013 12:26:53 PM Target: COUN1 Command: show arm config
*********************************************************************************************************

Minimum Transmit Power :15
Maximum Transmit Power :21
Band Steering Mode :prefer-5ghz
Client Aware :enable
Scanning :enable
Wide Channel Bands :5ghz
Air Time Fairness Mode :default-access
Custom Channels :No
2.4 GHz Channels
----------------
Channel Status
------- ------
1 enable
2 disable
3 disable
4 disable
5 disable
6 enable
7 disable
8 disable
9 disable
10 disable
11 enable
1+ enable
2+ disable
3+ disable
4+ disable
5+ disable
6+ disable
7+ enable
5.0 GHz Channels
----------------
Channel Status
------- ------
36 enable
40 enable
44 enable
48 enable
52 disable
56 disable
60 disable
64 disable
100 disable
104 disable
108 disable
112 disable
116 disable
132 disable
136 disable
140 disable
149 enable
153 enable
157 enable
161 enable
165 enable
36+ enable
44+ enable
52+ disable
60+ disable
100+ disable
108+ disable
132+ disable
149+ enable
157+ enable

*********************************************************************************************************
5/20/2013 12:25:20 PM Target: COUN1 Command: show ap arm neighbors
*********************************************************************************************************

ARM Neighbors
-------------
bssid essid channel rssi tx-power PL (dB) AP Flags Last Update (Total updates)
----- ----- ------- ---- -------- ------- -------- ---------------------------
00:22:6b:68:69:c0 STMM 1 18 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:02 SMM_GUEST 11 7 17 107 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:03 SMM 11 8 17 106 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8c:da SMM_GUEST 149 17 21 98 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8c:db SMM 149 17 21 97 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8c:d2 SMM_GUEST 6 14 7 88 Passive
00:90:4b:33:83:f8 6 40 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9e:9a SMM_GUEST 157 9 21 105 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9e:9b SMM 157 10 21 104 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:99:b3 SMM 1 44 17 68 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9e:92 SMM_GUEST 1 21 17 90 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9e:93 SMM 1 22 17 89 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:96:43 SMM 11 4 17 109 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:96:42 SMM_GUEST 11 5 17 107 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:0b SMM 48 9 21 107 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:0a SMM_GUEST 48 11 21 111 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8c:d3 SMM 6 14 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:99:bb SMM 36 29 22 93 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:99:ba SMM_GUEST 36 29 22 94 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:6a SMM_GUEST 44 39 21 77 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:6b SMM 44 39 21 76 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9a:d3 SMM 6 12 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9a:db SMM 36 5 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9a:da SMM_GUEST 36 5 21 112 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:99:b2 SMM_GUEST 1 43 17 66 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9a:d2 SMM_GUEST 6 13 0 0 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:63 SMM 1 46 17 66 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8e:32 SMM_GUEST 11 4 17 108 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:9b:62 SMM_GUEST 1 45 17 67 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:96:4a SMM_GUEST 48 5 9 99 Passive
6c:f3:7f:3d:8e:33 11 2 0 0 Passive
Neighbor Summary:One hop 31 Two hop 0 Current Time: 2013-05-20 12:25:10

*********************************************************************************************************
5/20/2013 12:24:03 PM Target: COUN1 Command: show arm-channels
*********************************************************************************************************

2.4 GHz
-------
Channel Status
------- ------
1 enable
2 disable
3 disable
4 disable
5 disable
6 enable
7 disable
8 disable
9 disable
10 disable
11 enable
1+ enable
2+ disable
3+ disable
4+ disable
5+ disable
6+ disable
7+ enable
5.0 GHz
-------
Channel Status
------- ------
36 enable
40 enable
44 enable
48 enable
52 disable
56 disable
60 disable
64 disable
100 disable
104 disable
108 disable
112 disable
116 disable
132 disable
136 disable
140 disable
149 enable
153 enable
157 enable
161 enable
165 enable
36+ enable
44+ enable
52+ disable
60+ disable
100+ disable
108+ disable
132+ disable
149+ enable
157+ enable

 

Is that output from one of the IAP you are seeing issues from ?

 

Are you experiencing network drops on those wireless devices ?

 

Have you tried running a speed test to see if you are experiencing performance issues when the signal fluctuates  ?

 

Are you experiencing this on all devices : iOS and Windows devices?

 

Have you tried updating the drivers?

 

 

Those commands allow you to see the ARM RF information  on a particular AP:

 

show ap arm history
show ap arm history {ap-name <ap-name>}|{bssid <bssid>}|{ip-addr <ip-addr>}
Description
For each interface on an AP, show the history of channel and power changes due to Adaptive Radio
Management (ARM).

 

show ap arm neighbors
show ap arm neighbors {ap-name <ap-name>}|{bssid <bssid>}|{ip-addr <ip-addr>}
Description
Show the ARM settings for an AP’s neighbors.

 

show ap arm rf-summary
show ap arm rf-summary {ap-name <ap-name>}|{bssid <bssid>}|{ip-addr <ip-addr>}
Description
Show the state and statistics for all channels being monitored by an individual AP.

 

 

Yes.. that is the output from just one of the IAP's that is in a spot that I am having problems..  I can put in another IAP in its place and will experience the same issue..  

 

I am experience network drops and performance issues when this is happening..   Most of the time cannot get out to the web to perform a speed test...    ping times are really bad...

 

This is happening on all personal devices like iphones, ipads, android phones..  I can put a newer laptop in there it doesn't appear to be affected.

 

 

Also based on the output you provided it doesn't seem like there's a lot of power level / channel changes on that AP that you are having issues with.

 

Are you sharing the wireless IP segment with anything else on your environment ?

 

 

So changing power levels 6 times in 2 minutes isn't alot?

 

2013-05-21 11:53:41 149+ 149+ 18 21 P+
2013-05-21 11:53:25 149+ 149+ 15 18 P+
2013-05-21 11:53:24 36+ 149+ 15 15 I
2013-05-21 11:50:55 36+ 36+ 18 15 P-
2013-05-21 11:50:54 36+ 36+ 21 18 P-
2013-05-21 11:50:48 36+ 36+ Max 21 P-

 

and I just tried a totally different POEI....    

 

I don't know what you mean by sharing the segment..  all the AP's connect to my main switch..  which has everything else plugged into it..

 

 

On this particular output it does show a lot of power/channel changes in a small period of time , but the one you posted yesterday it didn't have that many power changes is this the same IAP ?

 

It looks like most of those changes are occuring on the 802.11a band , do you have those IAPs staggered ?

 

POEI ?

 

Do you have any other devices beside the AP/Clients on the using the same VLAN ?

It was the same AP.. however the data I showed you yesterday did not include having a client connected to it I thinlk...   I just brought one over there just now and rechecked the history of power level changes...and now we have new data..

 

I'm not sure I know what you mean by having the IAP's staggered..  as in physically spaced out in such a way?

 

Power over ethernet Injector..   I thought that maybe the power level changes were due to the injector I was using, so I tried a brand new different manufacturer injector..  but still got the issue..  

 

I only have the AP's and Clients on that same VLAN...  however, the VLAN isn't isolated..  I can access other subnets at the moment..  which means, servers, workstations, printers, and my NAS device..    

 

Staggered : How did you distributed those APs physically ? Or you just added an IAP in each classroom ?

 

 

Did you get a chance to try with the newer laptop ?

 

 

 

Well, I placed the AP's more less just spacing them evenly around the campus, however I did put them in class rooms mostly because the walls are concrete...   but the AP we are dealing with right now, is not within concrete walls, but above the ceiling tile..   the AP's are pretty close to one another..    the one we are working with right now, has another one about 50 feet away from it..

 

A newer laptop does NOT seem to exhibit the fluctuation issue.

&nbsp;
The reason you saw those power/channel changes because you had to unplug the IAP to change power injector and ARM had to recalculate
&nbsp;
You may want to look into updating at least one of those devices and see what happens.

I realize the first three were because I unplugged the IAP.. but then the second three were obvious power level changes..  .....   the device I had connected was an iPhone 5 with the latest iOS update..    why does it change level anyway?

Interesting thing..  If i disconnect the neighboring IAP's, I do not get a power adjustment..  why is that?

 

The APs will do a RF scan and then calculate the Power levels and Channel assignment (ARM Algorithm) based on the information obtain during the RF Scan

 

Read this :

 

http://www.arubanetworks.com/pdf/solutions/TB_ARM.pdf

 

 

- Have you checked what channel the iPhone 5 uses versus the laptop ?

- Have you tried downloading the Speed test app on your iPhone and then run it to see what download/upload speeds you get ?

- Do you see the issues only when you go to certain websites ?