Client issues while connecting to ZF 2741 access points running 9.7 code

[koen_verbeeck]

Hey all,

Let me describe the issue. The client has 2 ZD3000 series located somewhere in Antwerp Belgium. The customer has several sites and access points are installed at these remote locations (around 270 access points in total). The access points are a mix of ZF7372, R500, T300 and ZF2741). We have 2 sites where there are only ZF2741 access points installed. On Sunday, the client performed an upgrade from 9.6.1.0 build 15 to 9.7.2.0 Build 9, nothing else was changed to the config. This is when problems started to arise, especially at the sites with ZF2741 access points installed only. The affected client devices are all clients that connect to a ZF2741 using 9.7.2.0 build 9 (so not only scanners but laptops also). I see that the clients can authenticate - associate - 4-way handshake - receive an ip address and can send data (normal data, QOS data) and go to sleep. Nevertheless we see a lot of packet loss (around 85%) We see this if we do a ping from the ZD to the clients and from the APs to the clients. My best guess is that there is a new feature in 9.7 that causes these issues (like bandbalancing/steering/client load balancing?). If we rollback to 9.6 everything works just fine.

Best regards,
Koen

[michael_brado]

Hello Koen,

    Nothing in ZD code should impact your performance like that.  Tech support would ask to see
the AP suupport info files from your 2741s when in use on both versions.  Do you use streamlined
authentication, ie WPA2 (not WPA-Mixed) with AES (not Auto TKIP+AES)?  Assuming your scanners
do WPA2-PSK?  I've seen issues when using the mixed/auto combination in certain clients.  Otw,
a ticket with Tech support might be helpful.

   

[primoz_marinsek]

I think there was a recommendation once on this forum that if you have a 2942, that you not upgrade higher than 9.5.

I have experience that 9.6 works OK with 2942, but there are problems with higher FWs. So I would either downgrade to what you had (9.6) or replace the 2741s with something newer.

[michael_brado]

Actually, there was internal software library changes between 9.6.x and 9.7 that increased AP load on processor and memory resources.

You can run 2942/2741 along with 7962/7363/7341s on 9.6.2.0.12.  But consider reducing number of WLANs <= 5, no more than one
tunneled back to the ZD, have a fast path to RADIUS if using 802.1x, and you should be ok. 

You don't need to roll back to 9.5.