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Wireless Control System:

Resources:

Maintenance

DHCP:

  • •All Sites now have DHCP Services (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) running  their wireless network making it easier to manage IP address and transition between site.
    • This means IP address are provided to the clients (who are set to receive DHCP Address ) Automatically.
    • Your  IBM Server is has been configured by ETS to deliver these DHCP Services
  • It is very important to have only One DHCP server on the network.  If you think you have more than one server  for example an apple airport) giving out IP addresses please contact ETS Network Integration Services or turn off the Apple airport DHCP function. 
  • –Setting a client for DHCP is as simple as selecting DHCP in the Connect Drop Down box on The Network TCP/IP Tab ( for Macs) or clicking Obtain IP Address Automatically on the PC
•

Issues:

The table below lists wireless problems and solutions to the problems 

Problem Solution Why This Happens
 

Wireless Report:  Access Point Cross Connect
Problem: connect: experiencing an active wireless Icon but never getting a network connection ( internet, email, server connections etc). As you begin to use your new wireless carts you may encounter issues of cross connect. You may experience your laptop was working earlier then suddenly it connects to a different access point (apple airport) and your network drops.
 		 Solution: 1. Best Solution is to remove Apple airports from the schools and replace them with Airespace wireless network equipment.
2. Change the network name of the Apple airport or Proxim Access point to a network name other than SBBC. Then build a location manager for the apple airport. If you need to have the ability for this laptop to connect to the Airespace SBBC network then build a second location manager setting for SBBC and the appropriate password and set DHCP.		 The Cause : When a Laptop connects to an Airespace access point it connects to the network name SBBC. It also gets an IP address from a DHCP server. High Schools and Middle schools now have a special subnet called the Wireless VLAN. This VLAN is set for 10.x.176.1. The school's normal LAN network is 10.x.192.1. Airespace Access points talk on 176.1 (Wireless Network VLAN). Apple airports and Proxim Access points talk on the 192.1 (The normal Wired Network VLAN). Although these network are at the same school they are completely separate networks.

If a Laptop connects to an Airespace access point talking on the Wireless Network then attaches some how to the apple airport network using the same name it may keep the 176.1 IVLAN IP address and never receive a 192.1 Ip address (Wired Network VLAN).



 

Wireless Report Dropping off the Airespace Wireless Network--5/18/05
Problem:  Wireless Icon (RADAR Doppler) Shows disconnected to the Airespace Wireless network even though the laptop is still connected Solution: As of 1 Aug there is no solution.  The Cause:  As of 1 Aug The cause is unknown.
Problem: Airespace Wireless network would disconnect all users from the network unexpectedly. Solution:  JDL Upgraded Airespace Software to Version 3.0 removing issues in earlier versions of the switch OS The Cause:  Airespace programmed a small module of code in earlier versions of their wireless switch software to accommodate a requirement for Spectralink  IP wireless phones to request a gateway address from the Airespace switch.  Airepsace removed the code from the switch in the recent release of 3.0 after Spectralink improved their phones.

The Trigger:  On occasion a Tiger DHCP request was taking greater than 30 seconds to return from the Airespace switch.  When this occurres the Tiger laptop would sends another DHCP request back in such a fashion that it appears to the Airespace switch to be a Spectralink phone.  The Airespace switch replys back to the Tiger laptop with the gateway address. This response is a new feature of Tiger and was not in earlier version of the O/S 10 hence the reason the problem was not present in OS/10.3x and earlier.  

The Tiger  Laptop is expecting a standard IP address response, but instead,  the Airespace switch gave the gateway address.  All wireless clients now think the router is the Tiger Laptop and  network traffic is halted.

 

Problem:  Laptops seem to disconnect and reconnect from the Airespace wireless network.  On occasion a laptop will not reconnect unless Airport is stopped and restarted. The problems are most noticeable on a MAC running O/S 10.3.6 to 10.3.8.  PCs do not appear to have trouble but sometimes will momentarily loose signal strength or flash a bubble window from the systems tray stating the signal strength.  This problem only exists for users who are using the  Airespace wireless system with a switch mounted in their CER.  Access Points operating without the use of a Airespace switch do not experience this issue.

 		 Solution: Upgrade Mac Computers to 10.4.2. 

 

Airespace has a tracking feature that monitors clients when connected to the wireless network and tracks the client leaving the network.  When wireless clients are pulsing the wireless network for information [using the intranet or internet, sending email or connecting to network services], the Airespace switch identifies the client as active on the network.   When a Client shows inactive for 300 seconds (a programmable number), the Airespace switch disconnects (disassociates) the laptop from the wireless network to see if the laptops are powered down.  If the laptops are still powered on, they will reassociate the wireless network again.  We have discovered that version 10.3.8 is having trouble reassociating back to the access point.  Also it is dropping the IP address and having to reacquire a new address again. Sometimes the DHCP server will give out the same IP address and sometimes it provides a new address.  This is typical DHCP server behavior.  You can monitor this activity by going to the finder, searching on console.log, clicking on Logs Icon and selecting system.log .  Type in airport in the filter and you will see the Link-up and Link-down reports.

 

Wireless Report: PCs are not Connecting to the Airespace Wireless Network--5/18/05
Problem:  PC laptops are having difficulties initiating a connection with the Wireless network. If the version of driver is dated 2003 and earlier you should update the driver. Go to Dell website enter in the serial number of the device and look for the driver.  Call the Dell rep at the ETS Service Desk to help update the drivers if necessary. Down load instructions  on how to find the date of the driver. NOT CURRENTLY KNOWN

 

 

Broward County Public Schools

Copyright © 2003 [ Customer Systems Integration Services]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 05/07/2008.


 

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