Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID connection order on Mac Devices
Pete, I noticed this when we were piloting our WPA SSID, but when we moved to production, we implemented Cloudpath's XpressConnct WPA setup app. As part of the setup process, XpressConnect is configured to have the client device "forget" our other SSIDs, and if the device supports it (Mac OS X for example), place it at the top of the client's SSID preference list. Jeff >>> On Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 9:11 AM, in message <47fe4cc0b92ada478ecc286a11e973010fd...@suex10-mbx-03.ad.syr.edu>, Peter P Morrissey wrote: We have run into problems where Apple devices (apparently more mobile devices than laptops) appear to gravitate towards SSID’s that are on top alphabetically. It often confuses users who get set up for our preferred 802.1x network which should automatically connect and authenticate them. They wind up connecting to one of our other networks we use for configuration. The problem apparently can be remedied by going into the profiles and “forgetting” the network, but this is not something at all intuitive to the average user. With Windows devices, this same network somehow starts showing up on top, and becomes the preferred network and it never seems to be a problem. We never hear complaints from Windows users whose network connection starts misbehaving with the cause being that they aren’t connecting to the network that they think they are connecting to. In fact with the Apple products, you can explicitly connect to your preferred network, and even while you are connected it will sometimes suddenly change to the network on the top of the list. I should point out that the other difference is that these networks are also non-802.1x networks, so it is certainly possible that the Apple client is preferring it for that reason. I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this behavior? Pete Morrissey ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID connection order on Mac Devices
We have seen this, but it does not seem to be the alphabetical order, but the order it was used. Since the open network is used to set up the secured network you must connect to it first. The only solution we have seen is forgetting the older network as you state. Walter Reynolds Principal Systems Security Development Engineer ITS Communications Systems and Data Centers University of Michigan (734) 615-9438 On Tue, Mar 27, 2012 at 12:37 PM, Johnson, Neil M wrote: > Pete, > > Yes, we have seen the same behavior. Users of Apple devices will > frequently get put back on our open setup network SSID (UI-Wireless-Setup) > because it comes alphabetically before our production WPA2 Enterprise > Network SSID (UI-Wireless-WPA2). The only solution we have come up is the > same (to forget the setup network after the user is configured). > > That might change this summer if we go ahead with plans to change our > SSID's around. > > -Neil > > -- > Neil Johnson > Network Engineer > The University of Iowa > Phone: 319 384-0938 > Fax: 319 335-2951 > Mobile: 319 540-2081 > E-Mail: neil-john...@uiowa.edu > > > From: Peter P Morrissey > Reply-To: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv < > WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU> > Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:11:48 + > To: > Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID connection order on Mac Devices > > We have run into problems where Apple devices (apparently more mobile > devices than laptops) appear to gravitate towards SSID’s that are on top > alphabetically. It often confuses users who get set up for our preferred > 802.1x network which should automatically connect and authenticate them. > They wind up connecting to one of our other networks we use for > configuration. The problem apparently can be remedied by going into the > profiles and “forgetting” the network, but this is not something at all > intuitive to the average user. > > ** ** > > With Windows devices, this same network somehow starts showing up on top, > and becomes the preferred network and it never seems to be a problem. We > never hear complaints from Windows users whose network connection starts > misbehaving with the cause being that they aren’t connecting to the network > that they think they are connecting to. In fact with the Apple products, > you can explicitly connect to your preferred network, and even while you > are connected it will sometimes suddenly change to the network on the top > of the list. > > ** ** > > I should point out that the other difference is that these networks are > also non-802.1x networks, so it is certainly possible that the Apple client > is preferring it for that reason. > > ** ** > > I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this behavior? > > ** ** > > Pete Morrissey > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > > ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID connection order on Mac Devices
Pete, Yes, we have seen the same behavior. Users of Apple devices will frequently get put back on our open setup network SSID (UI-Wireless-Setup) because it comes alphabetically before our production WPA2 Enterprise Network SSID (UI-Wireless-WPA2). The only solution we have come up is the same (to forget the setup network after the user is configured). That might change this summer if we go ahead with plans to change our SSID's around. -Neil -- Neil Johnson Network Engineer The University of Iowa Phone: 319 384-0938 Fax: 319 335-2951 Mobile: 319 540-2081 E-Mail: neil-john...@uiowa.edu From: Peter P Morrissey mailto:ppmor...@syr.edu>> Reply-To: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU>> Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:11:48 + To: mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU>> Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID connection order on Mac Devices We have run into problems where Apple devices (apparently more mobile devices than laptops) appear to gravitate towards SSID’s that are on top alphabetically. It often confuses users who get set up for our preferred 802.1x network which should automatically connect and authenticate them. They wind up connecting to one of our other networks we use for configuration. The problem apparently can be remedied by going into the profiles and “forgetting” the network, but this is not something at all intuitive to the average user. With Windows devices, this same network somehow starts showing up on top, and becomes the preferred network and it never seems to be a problem. We never hear complaints from Windows users whose network connection starts misbehaving with the cause being that they aren’t connecting to the network that they think they are connecting to. In fact with the Apple products, you can explicitly connect to your preferred network, and even while you are connected it will sometimes suddenly change to the network on the top of the list. I should point out that the other difference is that these networks are also non-802.1x networks, so it is certainly possible that the Apple client is preferring it for that reason. I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this behavior? Pete Morrissey ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
SSID connection order on Mac Devices
We have run into problems where Apple devices (apparently more mobile devices than laptops) appear to gravitate towards SSID's that are on top alphabetically. It often confuses users who get set up for our preferred 802.1x network which should automatically connect and authenticate them. They wind up connecting to one of our other networks we use for configuration. The problem apparently can be remedied by going into the profiles and "forgetting" the network, but this is not something at all intuitive to the average user. With Windows devices, this same network somehow starts showing up on top, and becomes the preferred network and it never seems to be a problem. We never hear complaints from Windows users whose network connection starts misbehaving with the cause being that they aren't connecting to the network that they think they are connecting to. In fact with the Apple products, you can explicitly connect to your preferred network, and even while you are connected it will sometimes suddenly change to the network on the top of the list. I should point out that the other difference is that these networks are also non-802.1x networks, so it is certainly possible that the Apple client is preferring it for that reason. I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this behavior? Pete Morrissey ** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
