Hello,
I have been chasing a problem with our wireless network, and I wanted to create a thread about it in case others are experiencing the same issues. Since ArubaOS 10.5.1.1 we have noticed issues where an access point will report the following with some devices:
Onboarding failed for client xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx in L3 phase timeout to BSSID xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel xx of AP hostname AP-xxxx. Reason: No DHCP traffic detected
Wireshark packet captures never show the endpoint reaching the DHCP server. Further investigation of the Aruba Central logs for all access points shows that most of these L3 Timeouts are from Apple iPhone devices. This issue appears to be alleviated if the user forgets the wireless network and rejoins it-I suspect this is due to the MAC randomization feature found on iPhones. The issue can be mitigated if the user roams to a different access point.
Additionally, it has been observed that Apple iPhone devices sometimes rapidly roam between frequency bands on the same access point. An example of this issue is as shown in an access point log below:
2024-04-23 08:47:47 CDT | Client Onboarding Failure - Deauthentication/Disassociation | Onboarding failed for client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx in Deauthentication/Disassociation phase to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:47:47 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:45:55 CDT | Client Onboarding Failure - Deauthentication/Disassociation | Onboarding failed for client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx in Deauthentication/Disassociation phase to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:55 CDT | 802.11 De-authentication to Client | De-authentication sent to client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx from BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:55 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:45:35 CDT | Client Onboarding Failure - Deauthentication/Disassociation | Onboarding failed for client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx in Deauthentication/Disassociation phase to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:35 CDT | 802.11 De-authentication to Client | De-authentication sent to client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx from BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:35 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:45:28 CDT | Client Onboarding Failure - Deauthentication/Disassociation | Onboarding failed for client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx in Deauthentication/Disassociation phase to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:28 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:45:18 CDT | 802.11 De-authentication to Client | De-authentication sent to client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx from BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:18 CDT | Client Onboarding Failure - Deauthentication/Disassociation | Onboarding failed for client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx in Deauthentication/Disassociation phase to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
2024-04-23 08:45:18 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:45:05 CDT | Client Association Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated successfully to SSID CHS-BYOD on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:44:21 CDT | Client Roaming Success | Client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx associated to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207 roamed successfully to BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 11 of AP hostname AP-HS207
2024-04-23 08:44:21 CDT | 802.11 De-authentication to Client | De-authentication sent to client 12:1a:xx:xx:xx:xx from BSSID 6c:c4:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel 132+ of AP hostname AP-HS207. Reason: Station has roamed to another AP
Environment details are below.
Aruba Central Managed: Yes
Deployed Access Points: AP-615, AP-515, AP-635, AP-535
Affected Firmware: 10.5.1.1 and 10.6.0.0 (Latest as of the time of this writing)
Features enabled for affected WLAN: 802.11k
Radio settings are left mostly at default settings
Other devices such as Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and Android devices also use this affected WLAN without issue.
If anyone has experienced similar issues or knows a solution to this problem, I'd be interested in hearing about them. I will open a TAC soon and update the thread with its information if this issue is being experienced by others.