User Experience Issues

Fault Symptom

STAs have difficulties in going online or roaming, cannot go online or roam, or connect to a remote AP.

Procedure

1. Check the AP network planning and deployment to verify the network coverage.

   Error-prone configuration: Network planning is not performed before AP deployment, or APs are not deployed according to the network plan.

   Suggestion: Test the onsite signal strength or use the CloudCampus APP to scan the onsite signal heatmap. Re-plan the network to adjust the AP deployment or deploy more APs to ensure signal coverage.

2. Check whether CAC is configured in the RRM profile and whether the CAC threshold is set properly. Check whether a large number of STAs failed to go online due to rejection by CAC.
   Error-prone configuration:

   1. The CAC threshold based on the number of STAs is configured.

      [AC-wlan-view] rrm-profile name huawei
      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac client-number enable
      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac client-number threshold access 5  //The access threshold is set too small. After five STAs access the network, the system rejects access from new STAs but allows access only from roaming STAs.

   2. The CAC threshold based on the channel utilization is configured.

      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac channel-utilization enable
      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac channel-utilization threshold access 10  //The access threshold is set too small. After the channel utilization exceeds 10%, the system rejects access from other new STAs but allows access only from roaming STAs.

   3. The CAC threshold based on the SNR of STAs is configured.

      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac client-snr enable
      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac client-snr threshold 50  //The access threshold is set too high for STAs to access the network.

      Threshold (RSSI) = Threshold (SNR) + Noise. The value of Noise is –95 dBm.

      Based on the preceding command output, the RSSI threshold is –45 dBm, calculated by 50 + (–95 dBm). This threshold is too high for STAs to access the network.

      If the live network is well planned and the coverage is good (greater than –65 dBm), it is recommended that this threshold be set to about 15.

   4. Enable automatic SSID hiding when the CAC threshold is reached.

      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac client-number enable
      [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-huawei] uac reach-access-threshold hide-ssid

   Suggestion: If the problem is caused by the user CAC function, disable the user CAC function or adjust thresholds as required.

3. Check whether the maximum number of access STAs is configured.

   Error-prone configuration: The maximum number of access STAs is set too small, so STAs fail to access the network.

   [AC-wlan-view] ssid-profile name ssid1
   [AC-wlan-ssid-prof-ssid1] max-sta-number 5 //The maximum number of access STAs is set too small for new STAs to access the network.
   Warning: This action may cause service interruption. Continue?[Y/N]y
   [AC-wlan-ssid-prof-ssid1] reach-max-sta hide-ssid disable

   Suggestion: Restore the maximum number of access STAs to the default value or increase the maximum number of access STAs as required.

4. Check whether load balancing is enabled.
   • Static load balancing

     Error-prone configuration:

     • When the load difference between APs reaches the upper threshold, some STAs may access the network slowly.
     • The threshold for denying STA access is configured.

     [AC-wlan-view] sta-load-balance static-group name coco
     [AC-wlan-sta-lb-static-coco] deny-threshold 10  //The deny threshold is set too high, causing difficulties for STAs to access the network.

   • Dynamic load balancing
     Error-prone configuration: The threshold for denying STA access is configured.

     [AC-wlan-view] rrm-profile name default
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] sta-load-balance dynamic enable  //Dynamic load balancing is enabled.
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] sta-load-balance dynamic deny-threshold 10  //The deny threshold is set too high, causing difficulties for STAs to access the network.

   Suggestion: Restore the default deny threshold for STA access. If the fault persists, disable load balancing.

5. Check whether the function of disconnecting STAs is configured and whether the threshold is set properly.

   Error-prone configuration: The threshold for disconnecting STAs is set too high, causing STAs to go offline frequently.

   [AC-wlan-view] rrm-profile name default
   [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam enable  //Smart roaming is enabled.
   [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam quick-kickoff-threshold snr 50  //The threshold for disconnecting STAs is set too high, causing STAs to go offline frequently.

   Suggestion: In scenarios with good coverage, the threshold of 15 or 20 is recommended.

6. Check whether the function of denying access from legacy STAs.

   Error-prone configuration:

   [AC-wlan-view] ssid-profile name ssid1
   [AC-wlan-ssid-prof-ssid1] legacy-station disable  //After this command is run, non-HT STAs supporting only 802.11a/b/g cannot access the WLAN.

   Suggestion: It is recommended that this function be disabled unless necessary.

7. Check whether the service VLAN is configured the same as the management VLAN or VLAN 1 is configured as the service VLAN.

   Error-prone configuration:

   [AC] display current-configuration | include service-vlan

   If no service VLAN is displayed, the current service VLAN is the default VLAN 1.

   Suggestion: Properly plan the service VLAN. Do not configure it to be VLAN 1 or the same as the management VLAN

   [AC-wlan-view] vap-profile name vap1
   [AC-wlan-vap-prof-vap1] service-vlan vlan-id 101

Fault Symptom

STAs frequently go offline or go online and offline.

Procedure

1. Check whether a STA frequently roams.

   Check measure: Run the display station roam-track sta-mac sta-mac command to check the roaming track of the STA. If the STA frequently roams, use a Wi-Fi signal scanning tool to check whether the signal strength in the target area is lower than –65 dBm.

   Suggestion: Re-plan the network to adjust the AP deployment or increase APs to ensure signal coverage.

2. Check whether smart roaming thresholds are set properly.

   Error-prone configuration:

   • High thresholds related to smart roaming are configured, causing STAs to frequently go online and offline.

     [AC-wlan-view] rrm-profile name default
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam enable  //Smart roaming is enabled.
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam roam-threshold snr 50  //The SNR threshold for smart roaming is set too high.
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam quick-kickoff-threshold snr 50  //The SNR threshold for disconnecting STAs is set too high.

   • The AC is configured to disconnect STAs based on the STA rate.

     [AC-wlan-view] rrm-profile name default
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam enable  //Smart roaming is enabled.
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam roam-threshold check-rate  //The trigger mode of smart roaming is specified as check-rate.
     [AC-wlan-rrm-prof-default] smart-roam roam-threshold rate 50

   Suggestion:

   • In scenarios with good coverage, the threshold of 15 or 20 is recommended.
   • Delete the trigger mode configuration of smart roaming as check-rate. In most cases, this configuration can cause STAs to frequently go online and offline.

Fault Symptom

The transmission speed or the speed displayed on a STA is low.

Procedure

1. Check whether only the 2.4 GHz network is enabled.

   Error-prone configuration: No VAP service is referenced in the AP group view or AP specific view, or the radio disable command is configured.

   [AC] wlan
   [AC-wlan-view] ap-id 1
   [AC-wlan-ap-1] radio 1
   [AC-wlan-radio-1/1] radio disable  //The 5 GHz radio is disabled, leaving only the 2.4 GHz radio on the wireless network.

   Suggestion: Enable the 5 GHz radio unless necessary to release burden on 2.4 GHz radios.

2. Check whether the rate limit is configured in the traffic profile, causing slow network access for STAs.

   Error-prone configuration: Rate limiting is configured, and the rate limit is set low.

   [AC-wlan-view] traffic-profile name p1
   [AC-wlan-traffic-prof-p1] rate-limit client up 1000
   [AC-wlan-traffic-prof-p1] rate-limit vap up 2000
   [AC-wlan-traffic-prof-p1] rate-limit client down 1000
   [AC-wlan-traffic-prof-p1] rate-limit vap down 2000

   Suggestion: Set a proper rate limit based on the number of access STAs and service planning.

3. Check whether the rate limit is configured in the SSID profile.

   Traffic policing controls traffic by monitoring the rate of traffic, and discards excess traffic to limit traffic within a specified range and to protect network resources.

   When data is sent from a high-speed link to a low-speed link, the low-speed link bandwidth is insufficient. As a result, a large number of packets are discarded. In this case, the data traffic rate needs to be limited. The interface of the high-speed link then discards the packets whose rate exceeds the traffic policing rate so that the outgoing traffic rate is limited to a specified range. You can also configure traffic policing for incoming traffic on the interface of the low-speed link. When the CBS is smaller than the number of bytes in a packet, packets of this type are discarded.

   Error-prone configuration: Traffic policing is configured in the SSID profile.

   [AC-wlan-view] ssid-profile name p1
   [AC-wlan-ssid-prof-p1] qos car inbound cir 64 cbs 9000 pbs 18000

   Suggestion: Disable traffic policing in the SSID profile, unless necessary.

4. Check whether the TKIP encryption mode is used, causing a low link setup rate.

   The 802.11n APs can be encrypted in WEP or TKIP mode. The association rate displayed on the STAs may be only 54 Mbit/s because the 802.11n standard does not define the WEP or TKIP encryption mode. If the 802.11n APs use the WEP or TKIP encryption mode, the STAs are associated only at 802.11g rates.

   Error-prone configuration: The TKIP encryption mode is used.

   [AC-wlan-view] security-profile name p1
   [AC-wlan-sec-prof-p1] security wpa-wpa2 psk pass-phrase abcdfffffg123 tkip

   Suggestion: Set the AES or TKIP-AES encryption mode.

5. Check whether the WMM function is disabled.

   802.11ax, 802.11ac, and 802.11n STAs must support WMM. If the WMM function is disabled on a radio, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, and 802.11n cannot work and STAs can access the network only in 802.11a/b/g mode.

   Error-prone configuration:

   [AC-wlan-view] radio-5g-profile name default
   [AC-wlan-radio-5g-prof-default] wmm disable  //The WMM function is disabled, allowing STAs to access the network only in 802.11a/b/g mode.

   Suggestion: Enable the WMM function.

6. For speed test issues, refer to the WLAN Performance Test Guide.