I completely agree. Initially the SSID's were hidden per Securities request, as well as a means to limit visible SSID's to clients. We have about 10 SSID's broadcasting so they wanted to avoid any confusion for people trying to connect ( I know, I know....we're currently implementing vlan shifting to reduce that number significantly).
And to anyone getting into wireless, I'd avoid hidden SSID's if possible. Doesn't really do anything from a security perspective.
Will follow up if I find a solution working with TAC this week to save someone else time.
Original Message:
Sent: Aug 20, 2024 12:50 AM
From: Kevin Rice
Subject: Compatibility Issue - AP535 and PCA Pump
Did you say hidden SSID? Hmmm. Nothing but trouble there for little benefit. I'd start by turning off as many WiFi features as possible. Perhaps try a lab setup with a standalone AP in instant mode. Disable everything possible except basic 2.4 Ghz. If you have success, build from there. Good luck!
Original Message:
Sent: Aug 19, 2024 08:38 AM
From: Steven Cote
Subject: Compatibility Issue - AP535 and PCA Pump
Good morning, Herman.
Yes, AP's are in the same AP group. And you are correct, these are legacy devices. I'm pressing the vendor now for firmware updates. We had a similar issue with some Welch Allyn pumps in a Cisco environment using 9130s. Firmware update did the trick.
I assumed the PCA pumps were having issues with HE or VHT so I disabled those, made no difference. The issue ended up being related to Hidden SSID. I have a TAC case open and we're going to run through some further troubleshooting. If I find a resolution, I'll post it here.
Thanks!
Original Message:
Sent: Aug 19, 2024 07:52 AM
From: Herman Robers
Subject: Compatibility Issue - AP535 and PCA Pump
If there is no further response, if there are really old devices, and don't have updated firmware, it may be that these don't like newer WLAN generations (11ax vs 11ac), or additional information in the beacon. The 535 and 225s are in the same AP group (so exact same configuration)?
It can be a bit finding what is wrong, but you may try to disable 11ax and see if that resolves the issue. If there are firmware updates for your PCA Pumps, or (recent) documentation/knowledgebase artivles from the vendor, those may help of guide you in the right direction as well. Your Aruba partner or TAC may be able to assist you in troubleshooting as well.
Some old/legacy devices are known to have issues to connect to networks that have been designed years after the last update of the design.
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Herman Robers
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If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.
In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.
Original Message:
Sent: Aug 14, 2024 02:18 PM
From: scote_aruba
Subject: Compatibility Issue - AP535 and PCA Pump
Just curious if anyone has encountered this. We have a 7210 environment connected to MM all running 8.10.0.10 LSR.
The device in question - Smiths Medical PCA Pumps Model CADD-SOLIS (mac oui is SILEX ).
Previously we had AP225 models which have been replaced with AP535. No config changes, same AP group and everything. These PCA pumps with pass authentication, but then fail at association. More specifically, briefly seem to associate then drop off. We replaced a 535 with an old 225 and it came right up. This happens on 802.1x SSID as well as PSK.
Just curious if anyone in a hospital environment has encountered this issue with the devices. Seems to be device/driver related as everything else is working fine.