Having problems authenticating client computers onto the wireless network using a Cisco AP1252 via FreeRadius 2.1.10 on Ubuntu 12.04.2 serves

[John Douglass]

Elizabeth,

We have had mixed results with Ubuntu's default network manager from 
12.04 until the current. Have you tried an alternative wireless manager 
like WICD?

http://www.lawn.gatech.edu/help/gtwifi/ubuntu_troubleshooting.html

- John Douglass, Sr. Systems IT/Architect, Georgia Institute of Technology


On 05/23/2013 12:47 AM, Elizabeth Fife wrote:
> HI I am having problems authenticating client computers onto the 
> wireless network using a Cisco AP1252 via FreeRadius 2.1.10 on Ubuntu 
> 12.04.2 serves
>
> Setup:
> I have a Cisco AP1252 wireless Access Point connected to a Cisco 
> ASA5510 on subnet X.X.5.Z    The access point ip address is X.X.5.101
> The ASA on another port is also connected to the wired network on a 
> different subnet X.X.0.Z
>
> On the wired network are two radius servers - Ubuntus servers running 
> FreeRadius 2.1.10 which are running fine and reliably authenticate 
> wired users for ssh connections to the ASA and importantly to the 
> AP1252 as well (The radius servers ip addresses are X.X.0.191 and 
> X.X.0.192)
>
> Problem:
> When a wireless user tries to connect to the wireless network via the 
> AP1252 after being disconnected form it for a while (or after waking 
> from a long sleep) they are never authenticated. They just try over 
> and over and never obtain an IP
>
> Interestingly in such a case neither Ubuntu server shows any sign of 
> receiving an authentication request from the AP  - Both ubuntu servers 
> are running in debug mode so they show any activity - there is none
>
> Oddly:
> If i try to authenticate a user wirelessly to the AP and leave it in 
> the usual state of trying over and over (with no visible activity on 
> the ubuntu servers) BUT then go to a wired machine and attempt to 
> authenticate an ssh connection to the AP1252 using a terminal 
> command     ssh user1 at X.X.5.101   THEN as soon as I hit enter on that 
> request (and before I enter a password for the ssh connection) THE 
> WAITING WIRELESS USER IS IMMEDIATELY AUTHENTICATED and assigned an IP 
> address  (and the ubuntu server shows the authentication activity for 
> the wireless user)
>
> Please help me understand what might be causing this behavior - it 
> seems like the AP sleeping and the wired ssh request wakes it up so 
> that it sees the pending wireless user waiting and then acts on that 
> completing the wireless user authentication request
>
> Help
>
> Elizabeth
>
>
> -
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