Can you please update this thread after you've upgraded to 8.12? I'm extremely curious to find out if it actually fixes the AirGroup issue or not. OS 8 has been a thorn in my side ever since we've moved to it 3 years ago.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 26, 2024 01:35 PM
From: ManyHatsAdmin
Subject: School Wifi with Airgroup, Airplay, and Airprint questions
Thanks for the replies.
Currently on ArubaOS 8.11.1.1
I plan to update to 8.12 in the next 1-2 weeks.
It does partially seem that I need the client MacBook to clear it's DNS/mDNS cache in order for it to reestablish connection to the printers. Until I refresh the dns-cache it can see the printers advertised, but it cannot actually print using Airprint.
I guess it's worth noting that the address of my printers in Presto are handed out as Lookup Zone records on my DNS Server. This in theory allows for a seamless Zero Config printing solution. The printers are not actually listed in the Airgroup. I have Airprint enabled only on my student BYOD network.
Update: looking closely at the console logs for a few clients while they are actively having this issue, it looks like there is definitely an issue resolving address and authenticating when trying to reach the advertised printers. I'm not sure if that is clearly the cause, or if mDNS is still at play here.
The MacOS device needs to verify the address and establish connection to the printers, and it looks like it is doing it through a combination of unicast DNS and mDNS, but I'm a little fuzzy on how the DNS resolver tries to accomplish this on MacOS.
I will check the DNS records again and see if there is something that needs to be fixed or updated.
If anyone has any further insight on this, I would be forever in your debt.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 24, 2024 02:20 AM
From: ariyap
Subject: School Wifi with Airgroup, Airplay, and Airprint questions
8.10.0.10 is available since Feb and indeed it has a few airgroup fixes. You can check the release notes from HP Networking Support portal .
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Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of HPE or Aruba.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 23, 2024 09:13 AM
From: nkuhl30
Subject: School Wifi with Airgroup, Airplay, and Airprint questions
What version of ArubaOS are you running? If you search the discussion forums for the past 2 years, you'll find a few threads about my immense struggles with AirGroup. Ever since moving to Aruba OS 8, I've experienced everything that the original poster has mentioned. We upgraded to 8.10.0.8 last Summer and it completely broke AirPrint and we had to revert back to 8.7 which is where we remain today.
I was told that 8.10.0.10 contains some important fixes for AirGroup but I can't move to that until the Summer.
Original Message:
Sent: Mar 20, 2024 02:28 PM
From: ManyHatsAdmin
Subject: School Wifi with Airgroup, Airplay, and Airprint questions
Hi,
I have a very similar environment to you. I use Presto with Aruba Airgroup as well, although we are not currently using ClearPass. I consistently, but intermittently have the exact same issues you are describing.
I have had intermittent AppleTVs that disappear for specific users. But more importantly I am experiencing the same behaviors with printers advertised through Presto that disappear from specific user MacBooks without any reason.
I can usually fix this with a WiFi toggle or force quitting mDNSResponder and related Airplay / Airprint services on the MacOS device, but this too regular of an issue to keep addressing one at a time.
I am desperate to find a solution for this.
Were you ever able to get this resolved? If so, Can you share some of your process?
Original Message:
Sent: Jun 08, 2022 05:41 PM
From: OESTech
Subject: School Wifi with Airgroup, Airplay, and Airprint questions
Hi All,
I'd like to start this discussion to see if anyone else who has a similar network can give any feedback on how they have their network setup. Here's what we have:
1. We have an Aruba Wifi network + Clearpass with Employee, student, BYOD, and Guest wifi. All on different subnets.
2. we have Apple TV in the classrooms that all wifi networks have access to via Airgroup.
3. we have Airprint printers. different WiFi networks have access to different printers. We use a server called Presto that advertise the printers via DNS. This allows us to control which WiFi get access to which printers.
So here's the issues I'm having and trying to solve:
1. it's just not very reliable. We have problems with incomplete lists of Apple TV. If you tend to use one Apple TV often, there's a good chance that is the one that will not advertise for you.
2. or another thing we see with Apple TV advertisements is lets' say room 20 Apple TV will not be available for 4 people, but the 5th person can see it.
3. another issue we have is printers appearing offline for MacOS and iOS devices. Most of the time toggling the wifi fixes it, but not always. Sometime you have to reboot the device and sometimes even that doesn't bring the printer back.
4. the other issue I'm facing is printer sharing on the BYOD wifi. If a BYOD user has a printer shared, it advertises to the entire network. Then users try to install that printer which is causing a bunch of confusion.
So if anyone can give any feedback about their use with Airgroup and maybe some successes or design ideas they have. We have never had much luck with Airgroup. and since Airgroup is not required for our printing solutions I'm suspicious it's adding another layer of complexity we don't need.