Roaming WiFi issues - 3 APs, one switch, one SSID

We are trying to setup a wireless network that consists of 3 APs (Linksys WAP54GPE) and one router/switch (Linksys RV082). Each AP is hard wired directly into the RV082. We have given each device its own static address in the same IP range/same subnet. Each AP is using a different channel (1,6,11). DHCP is enabled on the RV082. When we hook it all up, wireless clients can connect initially. But if you "roam" around to force the client to connect to another AP, the clients cannot obtain IP addresses. The message we receive is "Wireless Connection has limited or no connectivity". The wireless signal strength on all clients are strong/excellent. From that point on the clients will no longer connect without powering everything off and back on. Even then, we have had to reconfigure the APs several times.
As a test we replaced the RV082 with a Netgear router/switch with similar configuration. The wireless connection error went away (we could "roam" and seemingly stay connected), but we could not consistently ping (access) the devices on the network.
As another test we assigned each AP its own SSID and had the same results with the RV082 and the Netgear.
I have tried "figuring out" the VLAN settings on the RV082 and APs, but every time I make a change to the AP VLAN settings I can no longer acces the AP (via wireless or hard wire). I end up having to hard reset the AP to the factory defaults. I assume a seperate managed switch is required to "use" the VLAN capabilities of the Linksys devices we are using.
Everything I have read online indicates this should be easy, but we cannot get this to work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, B

Hello-

I have- cable modem<hard-wire>WRT54GR router<hard wire>SRW224P switch<hard-wire>4ea. WAP54GP AP's. It appears we have the same problem, I'm only using 2 AP's right know to isolate problems. I can log on to either AP ch#1 or ch#11 and get to internet. If I go to other AP, I have to do a power cycle that AP to get to internet, I can always get to AP but can't ping anything else. I am running DHCP to cable modem, router set at DCHP server, switch static IP, AP's Static IP's.

I'm going to put everything on DHCP tomorrow and set the IP range somewhere outside default values.

If you find something out please let me know.

Thanks

Hello-

Thanks for the reply-

I've tried every combination of channel, SSID, static, DHCP distance and signal strength between AP's, I can think of, but I will try again. I've tried different AP's out of the four I have in different ports on the switch and the router. Doesn't seem to make any difference of what channel or combo I do. I can always ping the AP but not get back to the switch or router until I power cycle. The nets usable as long as you stay on the first AP you get, as soon as you change or wireless management software changes for you, you can get back on to the switch or router, but you can still ping the AP. No one at tech has been able to tell me how come you can wireless ping the AP but can't ping the switch that it's connected to with a wire? Power cycle and everything's fine till you go to the next AP. I've got the AP's separated so they can't get interference form one another. I can ping the AP -t for as long as I want with no errors. I finally got to a level 2 tech, was on the phone for 4 hours trouble shooting. He finally said they were going to set my network up in a lab and try and duplicate it. I can't seem to find any users of multiple WAP54GP's out there, lost of reviews though.

Thanks again-

Here's what linksys KB says:

How to use multiple access points on the same LAN

Question

How do I use multiple access points on the same LAN


Answer1

Multiple access points can be used on the same LAN, provided they are attached to the same hubs or switches that are connected by Cat 5 Ethernet cable.

The channel for each access point should be unique, within the range of 1-11 for North America. This allows up to 11 access points to be set up on one LAN. It is recommended to go in increments of three to the next closest access point:

Example: 3 - 6 – 11

The SSID should be the same for all the units on the LAN

If WEP is enabled, all WAP11 units must have the same algorithm, passphrase, keys, and tx key in order for the wireless equipped machines to roam.

Author:
KBJLH

Copyright © 2004 Cisco Systems, Inc.
AND

Wireless roaming with Wireless Access Points

Question
What is "roaming" and how does it work?

Answer1

Roaming is the ability of a wireless computer user to communicate continuously while moving freely throughout an area greater than that covered by a single access point. In such a system, the users end node undertakes a search for the best possible access to the system. First, it evaluates such factors as signal strength and quality. Based on that information the node next selects the strongest Access Point and registers its address. Communications between end node and host computer can then be transmitted up and down the backbone. When a node no longer receives acknowledgment from its original access point, it undertakes a new search. Upon finding a new access point, it then reregisters, and the communication process continues.

Author:
KBJLH

Copyright © 2006 Cisco Systems, Inc.

Hello-

I'll try that tomorrow. I wish the original poster would reply, I would like to give him the Techs number that's working on this. I've found one other existence of someone having problems with these WAP's. I think they are quite new, but can't find any users online?

Thanks

Hello-

Thanks for the reply-

I'm still working on the issue with Linksys, they told me they were going to find out if this is a bug or it is designed this way. I have another customer service number 1-800-546-5797, 3-3-6, you can request a L3 tech right off. If you want, you can talk to Badge ID 54822 (supervisor) and tell him your problem. He seems to want to bring this to an end one way or another. Meanwhile I have $1500 worth of junk I want to send back to linksys.

Have you tried your WAP's in repeater mode?

Here's a description of the problem from another WAP54GP user.

Well, the conclusion was that this is a limitation of WAP54GP. From Linksys support, nobody really cares with this problem. Their support is really bad. Even getting to the 2nd level support did not make any difference. Also, from the group discussion that was also no really interesting feedback.

I will describe you my understanding of the problem and my workaround to it.
Linksys does not support roaming or WDS. It is not even in their road-map. The maximum they support is a 1 main + 3 repeaters.
What I am trying to do is a little bit related with WDS because I am moving from one AP to the other.
The problem is that each AP stores the mac address of the clients associated to it.
This means that it builds a table of mac/interface.
Each AP has 2 interfaces: wireless and physical.

So, when you connect your laptop to AP1, the AP1 will store your mac related with the wireless interface.
Now, while you are connected to AP1, AP2 is also learning and filing in this table. AP2, which is in the same segment, will put your laptop mac address into the table associated with the physical interface.
Now, AP2 knows that your laptop is not in its wireless interface, but on the wire. AP2 thinks that you are connected to the wire as it does not know about the existence of AP1.

When you move to AP2, disassociating from AP1 and associating with AP2, AP2 still has the entry in its table thinking that your mac address is in the wire. For this reason, it will not forward the traffic until this entry has aged!

Workaround: Create one VLAN for each AP.
I have implemented this solution with a VLAN for each AP and a network for each VLAN. Every time you change are, you have to press in the rescan button. The rescan will restart the 802.11 connection, get the strongest AP and get a new IP address.

This is the only way that I have found it to work. If you find another, let me know!
My customer just could not wait 15 minutes to get connectivity!

My advice: Buy Cisco!! This linksys stuff is for home use only. I have tested this scenario with a 1200 series and works perfectly. Plus, it supports WDS with IAPP and another protocol fast roaming.

Hello-

Have you tried them in repeater mode, mine don't seem to work as repeaters either. I called Linksys sales and told them I wanted to send this stuff back. The salesman gave me his email address, pm me for address, so I could send him a description of the problem. I wanted to trade it in for Cisco router and AP's, he asked if I would give the people/ tech's in California a chance to look into this. Been 3 days no response yet.

I would call sales and tell them your problem, the more people we get to complain the more likely they will address the issue.

Thanks

I have not tried them out in repeater mode, but I will attempt that over the weekend. That definitely would not be optimal; however it would be better than not using the other two at all I guess. I will demo this over the weekend and report my findings; though I'm not quite sure if that will work out since I must keep the Ethernet cable plugged in due to the fact that these things are intalled in the rafters and powered by PoE. I'm still working my way through online support. My first reply from Linksys was telling me that the units needed to be configured exactly the way I stated they were configured in the original email... go figure... brilliant first level support folks.

- Paul

I tested two DLINK DWL-2700AP with the following config...
Netgear router/switch:
172.25.25.1
255.255.255.0
DHCP 172.25.25.30-60
DWL-2700AP#1:
172.25.25.11
255.255.255.0
DHCP 172.25.25.100-163
SSID:SSH
WPA Pre-shared key encryption (same as #2)
Radio Channel: 1
DWL-2700AP#2:
172.25.25.12
255.255.255.0
DHCP 172.25.25.164-227
SSID:SSH
WPA Pre-shared key encryption (same as #1)
Radio Channel: 11

I have not completed all of my tests, but my initial findings were positive. I setup both WAPs in seperate locations of my house and set the broadcast power level to the lowest setting on both WAPs. My laptop connected to the closest WAP and obtained and IP. I set a cmd prompt to constantly ping the router (ping 172.25.25.1 -t). I walked to the other WAP and waited for the laptop to connect to it, but I do not have the correct utility installed to confirm which WAP I was connected to. I did notice that the IP address stayed the same. I guess the computer is more concerned about the lease than about what WAP/DHCP scope it is currently connected to.
As another test, I changed the lease time on both WAPs to one minute and made an initial connection. After I confirmed a constant ping of the router, I unplugged the WAP that gave out the IP. There was no interruption to the pings (I was within range of the other WAP). Once the IP lease expired, there was no ping response for about 5-10 seconds, but the ping returned. I am going to test some large downloads tonight and power off/on the WAPs randomly to see how the laptop reacts. Please let me know if you have any questions.
The prior post indicating that both WAPs be placed on the same radio channel is incorrect from what I have found. Regular interference from outside sources is headache enough, but everyone I have spoken with (and posts I've read online) indicate that setting multiple intesecting WAPs to the same radio channel AND SSID will cause problems. I am going to test this theory on our network tonight as well.

Thanks,
B

Hello-

There are several threads with this topic. I have yet to find anyone that has these working.
Thanks-


http://hardware.mcse.ms/showthread [...] ost1212757

Installed two WAP54GPE's and 224P switch. Having the same issues you all are discribing. I've worked a bunch of configurations but still no success. Disappointing.

Hello-

Talked to "corporate" "emergency" support today. Official response is no linksys WAP's support roaming. He said depending on the model, some older models, they would sometimes work. But they do not support any roaming capabilities.

Linksys stuff is going back. If you have a problem RMA'ing with the people you bought from, call corporate headquarters and they will take it back.

It took almost 4 weeks to get an answer. Out of the 30-40 calls I made, I got one call back from a lead tech in the Philippines. Linksys support is the worst, well maybe Dell, toss up.

I'm getting Cisco 1841 router, 3650 switch and 1200 series access points.

Rick

Hello-

Update- Looks like I'm getting 1841 security router, Airspace 2000 controller, Catalyst 500 24 port PoE switch, 1200 series lightweight Ap's and a service contract.

Thanks

Hi Guys,

There was a bug in the WAP54GPE causing this problem (ARP related). There will be a new firmware released within a day or two that will fix these issues. Keep an eye on Linksys.com for the update.

In the Linksys lab we were seeing delays of up to 17 minutes when roaming between access points. With new firmware to address this issue the time it takes to roam is milliseconds.

PM me if you have any issues with the WAP54GP or WAP45GPE. I will try to help you directly.

regards,

Wirelessguy

I have been working with a somewhat similar model (WRT54G Ver 5) and I've been experiencing almost identical symptoms as you guys have been experiencing. I am truely hoping that if Linksys is really updating the firmware for the WAP54G model, they wil do the same for the WRT54G, as we have 7 of them already installed and reguardless of whether we can get the RMA'd, it would be a serious pain in the arse to replace all 7. I will keep my eye on the firmware updates, cross my fingers and hope that they get an update like it sounds.

Otherwise...

Suciu,

You are absolutely correct. For support reasons, the f/w is available only through support for the first 10 days of the f/w release. After 10 days, if no critical issues have been found it is posted to the main linksys.com site. I was pushing for the f/w to be posted directly to the main site as I wanted to personally make sure you guys had your issues resolved.

Glad to see your roaming is now fixed! :-) If you have any issues, send me a PM.

regards,
Wirelessguy

[/quote]
I'm glad that I could help where your hands were probably tied to company procedures. Personally I would modify the internal procedure and give my clients the product they were buying, even if beta, instead of forcing them to return the product because it doesn't perform as described in the user guide. Just post the beta firmware with a proper user agreement, and we will know that you (or guys like you) are not the only one at Linksys that cares for your product and customers.

keep up the good work! [/quote]

I agree with you 100%, however I have no say in the matter, lots of politics involved.

This access point is designed for small business users, not retail customers. Linksys' support model is more consumer-oriented. Now imagine beta code being released to the average retail customer... that is a potential nightmare for the support folks.

I am just glad you guys get what you paid for in the end. That in turn gives me satisfaction knowing you guys are happy customers and our hard work is being applied in the field.

Happy roaming!! 8)

regards,
-Wirelessguy

Rick,

You must be continuing your rant from the first page and still venting frustration.

Do not take my previous comment/opinion out of context. Linksys' core business is retail consumer networking products and the support structure is designed accordingly. You are dealing with a product that is not designed for retail consumers so this product demands a higher level of support.

Who was the reseller you purchased this equipment from? Did you contact your Value Added Reseller directly for support? Your reseller should have been in contact with our sales and engineering team to quickly resolve this issue.

Clearly this is not how things happend and this is how your frustration began.

regards,
Wirelessguy

Rick,

You are a very frustrated guy, everyone can tell by your expressed anger and irate use of foul language...

I notified you guys of a *fix* to the problem. Don't shoot the messenger!

Believe me, you never spoke to an actual engineer. There is a HUGE difference between and Engineer and a Tech Support Engineer. Engineers do not interface directly with customers and they certainly know what features are supported.

There is no B.S. or story provided in this thread. What is blatantly obvious is that that your frustration level is so high that you are venting anywhere you can and are completely unprofessional in the process.

I hope you feel better letting off some steam..

And yes, Cisco support is #1 in the industry. Why do you think Cisco products are so expensive? Because of the amount of R&D and QA that is involved in the product development cycle, not to mention the highly technical folks answering tech calls (some of which are CCIE's). All of that comes at a price, a hefty one at that. Even though Cisco owns Linksys you are comparing apples to oranges. Two completely different markets and pricing.

regards,
Wirelessguy

Rick,

I really wish I could I answer your questions regarding support, however I am not in the support organization so I cannot speak for them, plain and simple! I have NO relationship to that organization. Their process and procedure are out of my reach. I cannot answer those questions.

There was a bug in the AP software (THIS IS A FACT, no stories!), hence there wasn't successful roaming with 2 or more APs!! It would have been impossible.

What puzzles me is why you even were talking to Linksys retail customer support in the first place? These products aren't available through retail channels (Best Buy, Frys, etc.) and you should be in touch with your vendor who should have been providing that service as a value-add. This is why I asked where you purchased this AP and you did not answer. VARs like Ingram Micro, CDW, all have contacts within Linksys to get resolution to problems like this.


Best of luck,
Wirelessguy

p.s. I won't conversate with you if you continue the childish comments. Try to be mature. If you cannot I have nothing further to discuss with you.

Rick,

I really wish I could I answer your questions regarding support, however I am not in the support organization so I cannot speak for them, plain and simple! I have NO relationship to that organization. Their process and procedure are out of my reach. I cannot answer those questions.

There was a bug in the AP software (THIS IS A FACT, no stories!), hence there wasn't successful roaming with 2 or more APs!! It would have been impossible.

What puzzles me is why you even were talking to Linksys retail customer support in the first place? These products aren't available through retail channels (Best Buy, Frys, etc.) and you should be in touch with your vendor who should have been providing that service as a value-add. This is why I asked where you purchased this AP and you did not answer. VARs like Ingram Micro, CDW, all have contacts within Linksys to get resolution to problems like this.


Best of luck,
Wirelessguy

p.s. I won't conversate with you if you continue the childish comments. Try to be mature. If you cannot I have nothing further to discuss with you.

CDW value -add service ? LOL . I purchased this unit from CDW & they didnt even know what type of antenna connector the wap54gpe uses let alone how to configure or troubleshoot issues .

The firmware upgrade promised by wireless guy isnt available . Linksys is so clueless they dont even have the right model firmware on thier download site . Says 1.28 but when you click the link you get wap54gp 1.28 firmware .

Using 1.24 firmware , WDS does not work with the wrv200 unless encryption is totally disabled . I even tried the EU version i found on thier beta site which breaks the VLAN feature .

Customer service seems to be a very low priority for linksys . If a consumer has a problem they are insulted by linksys by being told its a product not sold to the public due to its complexity & any issues you have are from incorrect configuration .


My recommendation is to do a check of the better buisness bureua website for linksys & cisco before throwing away your hard earned cash .

Hi altogehter,

i have the same problem with three WAP54G-DE (german version).

All in the same (ip)net, same security settings, different IPs, same SSID as
recommended by linksys but no roaming :-(

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/net [...] 1145#81145

Unfortunately the login for beta firmware has changed.
Does anyone has an idea what to do?

Greetings

Pete