Wi-Fi FAQ

5GHz Channel Bonding width behavior (dynamic?)

Our Mist APs do not automatically adjust the 5GHz bonding width in accordance to interference on the network. The channel width is defined by the user (20MHz, 40MHz(default), or 80MHz) and the AP will maintain this width unless the user changes the configuration. Most clients react badly when they see a BSSID with differing channel...

Accessing Apple TV on different SSID/VLAN (Bonjour behavior)

Bonjour natively only works within a flat subnet and does not cross gateways without a proxy or multicast/broadcast bridge/route.  Enabling these may cause an increased amount of broadcasts.  A simpler solution to access Apple TV across different subnets is to use bluetooth. AppleTV has a built in Bluetooth notification mechanism of its IP address, so...

Antenna Gains for each AP Model

Internal Antenna Models AP12: 3dBi for the 2.4 GHz band and 6dBi for the 5 GHz band AP21: 4dBi for the 2.4 GHz band and 5dBi for the 5 GHz band AP32/33: 4dBi for the 2.4 GHz band and 6dBi for the 5 GHz band AP41: 4dBi for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands AP43: 4dBi...

AP Connectivity to the Mist Cloud

When a Mist AP cannot reach the Mist Cloud, can end users with a wireless connection still communicate with the internet? With the local network? If config persistence was enabled on the AP before it lost connectivity to the Mist cloud, the AP will still be able to provide WiFi.  The same goes for APs...

AP insufficient power warning?

If your switch is not providing enough power to your Access Points, you will see the warning message shown below: If this is the case, please enable LLDP on your switch or assign AT power to the AP.  Our APs do not operate properly under only AF power, and may impact your wireless services.  Please...

API Rate Limiting

The current rate limiting is 5000 API calls per hour and is reset at the hourly boundary. If you need more, please contact our support about your use case (support@mist.com). It is possible that there are other APIs that can better serve you or new APIs we can create to do what you’re trying to...

Ban/Block a Client

To ban and/or block any client manually, first go to Site > Security to classify and add client mac addresses as Banned clients.  You can now do this for a specific site or the entire ORG.   Either manually enter MAC Addresses or upload a file with the list of MACs. Or from API, we...

Behavior with IPv6

The Mist APs and Mist Edge support IPv6 only and dual stack environments.  As well as clients in IPv6 and stack environments. For APs The AP supports DHCPv6 and SLAAC for address assignment Global 02 and Global 04 cloud environments support AP to cloud connectivity over IPv6.  For other cloud environments, you will need to...

Best Practices for switch port configs

Here are some recommended configurations for your switch ports to work seamlessly with the Mist APs: On a trunk port, prune all the unwanted VLANs – only the required VLANs (based on WLANs) should be part of allowed VLANs. Since our APs do not save the configuration by default, APs should be able to get...

Can’t find old firmware version on the dropdown?

As we gradually roll out newer firmware versions, we do eventually retire the old versions from the AP Upgrade dropdown list.  If for whatever reason you would like to downgrade your AP to an older firmware version which is no longer available in the dropdown list, please contact us at support@mist.com and we can help put...

Changes on the WLAN that will reset radios

Making certain changes on your WLANs may cause the AP radios to reinitialize in order to obtain the new configuration.  This will temporarily Deauthenticate any clients connected to that AP.  The following are some WLAN changes and their impact on the radios: Name change:  reset radio Selecting specific radio :  reset radio Band steering : ...

Channel bonding behavior with Radar

When the AP detects radar while using channel bonding, all of the bonded channels will stop using the radar channels. The Access Point will switch to a different set of bonded channels which do not interfere with the detected radar.

Check cloud connectivity of your AP

To ensure your Access Point has access to the Mist cloud, please make sure firewalls aren’t blocking port 443 – this needs to be open in order to reach the cloud.  Plug in your laptop on the AP management VLAN, and try to access this link: https://ep-terminator.mistsys.net/about Your laptop will not have our certificate, so you...

Daisy Chain Access Points

For BT11’s please look here: https://www.mist.com/documentation/daisy-chaining/ AP41 Most customers will use Eth0 for both data in/out and AT power (30 watts) Eth1 port will give Data Out, but will not give PoE Out Module port will give Data Out and PoE Out when PoE Passthrough is enabled.  To do so, please navigate to your Access Points page...

Difference between Reconnect and Reauthorize

Reconnect applies to all authentication methods. When you click Reconnect for a device, its associated AP sends a de-authentication packet to this device. The device will then disconnect from the AP.  Almost all devices connect right back to the WLAN after de-auth. Most administrators use this to manually trigger a roaming event to another AP. Reauthorize...

Disable Wi-Fi 6

Our AP43, 33, 32 and 12 models supports 802.11ax, which may cause some interoperability issues with legacy clients.  To disable the 802.11ax on your WLAN, simply navigate to your WLAN Details page, and find the WiFi Protocols box.  In here, you may disable WiFi-6.  This will disable WiFi-6 for that specific WLAN on AX capable AP’s,...

DSCP Mapping

In our current implementation of QOS, the AP overwrites DSCP values of upstream traffic based on Access Categories (AC) values.  DSCP values marked by wireless clients are therefore not retained.  The DSCP and WMM AC mappings are as follows: DSCP to WMM AC Mapping DSCP 0 AC 1 DSCP 1 AC 1 DSCP 2 AC...

Enable notifications for your site

Any admin with write access to sites on an organization will be able to subscribe to get email alerts for events occurring on those sites.  This includes Network admins and Helpdesk admins. Pick and choose the specific sites you wish to get alerts for by navigating to 👤> My Account. In the Email Notifications box, select Enable....

Force 5 GHz Band on Windows Machines

If your Windows laptop is experiencing slow WiFi, it might be stuck on the 2.4 GHz Band.  You can check to see which band your client is using by clicking on Clients -> WiFi Clients from the sidebar.  If it shows 2.4 GHz as the Band, then it likely means that the driver isn’t automatically band-steering to...

How to factory reset the AP?

Start with your AP powered off.  Press and hold the Reset button while powering on the AP to reset it back to the default factory settings.  Make sure to keep the button held down until the AP begins the boot up sequence (When the green and yellow lights start blinking). Make sure to set the IP Address...

How to open a support ticket

Please use the Question Mark on your Mist Dashboard.  Select Support Tickets from the dropdown menu. In the Support Tickets screen, click on the Create a Ticket button. Using the dropdown menu, select the ticket type that matches your issue, and then fill in the rest of the sections to submit your ticket. or simply drop...

How we scan for unauthorized APs

In addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios, our Mist APs also contain a third radio dedicated to scanning. This radio is used for detecting Rogue, Neighbor, and Honeypot APs on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. This means that regardless of which radios you have enabled on your AP (2.4GHz or 5GHz), it will...

Importing Predictive Ekahau or iBwave Projects to Mist

Mist is delighted to support importing Ekahau and iBwave files.  This guide will walk through the intended uses and some tips of using the feature.  In short, the import feature is meant to be a timesaver by ingesting the work you have already done in your Ekahau or iBwave design file.  There’s no duplicate work...

Inactive Wired VLANs

What does the Inactive wired VLANs warning message on the Mist Dashboard mean? The inactive wired VLANs error message appears on the dashboard when our APs don’t detect incoming traffic from a particular VLAN that is used in either an AP or WLAN configuration. In this case our backend algorithm suspects that this VLAN is...

Juniper OS 17.3R3 Software required for AT power

Juniper Networks, Inc. ex4300-24p need to run software kernel JUNOS 17.3R3-S1.5, Build date: 2018-08-31 or later. There is a known problem in earlier releases where lldp negotiated power are 19.5w but the lldp allocated power varies between 10.5 and 11.7 watts which may cause AP41’s to reboot unexpectedly. Juniper Release Notes  

LLDP Power via MDI TLV

There are two options for power negotiation using LLDP-MED: 1. LLDP Power Via MDI TLV IEEE 802.3-2015 The extended Power-via-MDI TLV enables advanced power management between LLDP-MED Endpoints and Network Connectivity Devices. 2. Legacy LLDP Power via MDI TLV IEEE 802.1AB-2009 We support both types but prefer option 1, as this TLV provides significantly more information...

Maximum Devices and WLANs per AP?

Maximum Number of Devices Please note, the client numbers below are the AP maximums.  Proper design practices should be followed to determine the usable number of clients per radio/AP. W-Fi 6 and 6E APs The maximum theoretical number of client associations on each radio is 512. AP41/61 The maximum theoretical number of client associations on...

Maximum limit for Multiple passphrase WLAN

You may create or generate up to 5,000 total Pre-Shared (per ORG) Keys when configuring a Multi-PSK WLANs.  To learn more about setting up a WLAN, please reference this section: https://www.mist.com/documentation/category/wlan-configuration/

Metrics on the Access Points Page

The following are the metrics on the landing page of the Access Points Connection Status VLANs Version Compliance   Connection Status The connection status metric displays the percentage of access points that are currently online. The Color coding of the metrics bar is as follows: i) If the Percentage is greater than 98.5 % then...

Microsoft DHCP servers default to Broadcast

To make any WiFi network more efficient, the DHCP server should honor the broadcast/unicast flag set by the client in its response. Most clients set this flag to unicast so that the DHCP server replies with a unicast vs. flooding the network with broadcasts. Almost every DHCP server in the world defaults to honoring what...

Mist APs and PoE Requirements

Generation Model Minimum PoE Required Wattage Required for Full Wi-Fi Functionality Wi-Fi 6E AP64 802.3af 13W AP45 Dynamic 29.3W AP34 Dynamic 20.9W AP24 802.3af 13W Wi-Fi 6 AP63 802.3at 25.2W AP43 802.3at 25.5W AP33 802.3af 19.5W AP32 802.3af 19.5W AP12 802.3af 12.9W Wi-Fi 5 AP61 802.3at 19.5W AP41 802.3at 19.5W AP21 802.3af 12.9W Other BT11...

Radio Management: Event Types

In Radio Management, there are several event types in the Radio Events section of the page: The AP shouldn’t automatically re-optimize unless necessary (ie: interference). So either you have to click “Optimize Now” to apply it immediately, or you can wait until ~2:00AM local time for our backend to optimize for you Scheduled site RRM event...

Recommended cable length for Mist APs

What is the re-commended length of the Ethernet cable for powering up and connecting the Mist APs to cloud? We usually recommend a max length of 100 meters for the ethernet cable between the AP and the switch port to guarantee proper function. Can I run an Ethernet cable longer than 100 meters long while...

RSSI values for good/bad signal strength

When used together Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Fast Roaming options help ensure fast, strong Wi-Fi connections. Use RSSI to ensure that users always experience a strong signal to their Access Point (AP). Use Fast Roaming to speed up security connections when you are using WPA2 Enterprise Security. RSSI measures the strength of a...

SNMP Monitoring Support

The Simple Network Management Protocol ( SNMP) is an Internet standard protocol for remotely managing routers, switches, servers, workstations, and other devices on an IP network. Users can now configure SNMP options from the Mist UI under switch device/site/org level.

Supported Image Formats for Floor Plans

When creating a floorplan in Location Live View, we require you to attach an image to be used as the map.  We strongly encourage the use of .png file formats.  JPEG files are also acceptable.  We currently don’t support .pdf or .dwg floorplans. Recommended floorplan settings: Dimensions: 2000×3000 pixels File size: <1 MB (Max 8...

Use Site Variables to edit RADIUS configs per site

Use Case Have one universal configuration profile across all sites on an organization, except for the RADIUS server used. The RADIUS server will be edited on a per site basis. Solution using Site Variables 1) Configure an organization template from the UI Navigate to Organization > Config Template > WLAN to configure a WLAN to...

Using an AP in Survey Mode

Follow these steps to configure your AP (any model) to be used in a survey mode. 1. Power on your AP and make sure it has cloud connectivity in order for your configurations to be pushed through.   2. Claim your AP to a Site, and ensure that AP Config Persistence is enabled and AP Uplink Monitoring...

VLANs configured as site variables

When setting up a universal template to be used across multiple sites, there are certain factors which may differ from site to site. Different sites may have unique VLAN configurations, and to support these use cases we are allowing VLAN IDs to be configured as a site variable. With this function, set the VLAN ID...

What do the different AP firmware tags mean?

Production Firmware – Firmware that is tested completely for the supported feature set. Although this is the most stable firmware, it has limited feature support since we are no longer adding new features or bug fixes (except for security vulnerabilities). rc2 Firmware – Firmware with newer functionalities and still under test, but is relatively stable...

What is AP Reflection?

Sometimes you may see events for AP Reflection Detection in our site events page(Analytics → Events tab). The AP Reflection Detected event shows that there is a possible loop in your network and the AP is receiving the packet it sent out. We detect this when the AP wired port receives a frame with the...

What is the difference between AP deauthentication and Client deauthentication?

Deauthentication is not a request, it is a notification If a station wants to deauthenticate from an AP, or if an AP wants to deauthenticate from stations, either device can send a deauthentication frame. Because authentication is a prerequisite for association, a deauthentication frame will automatically cause a disassociation to occur. Deauthentication cannot be refused...

Where are the options for WEP and TKIP?

By default, these two security options are disabled as we recommend you use WPA-2 security for a more secure network.  However, there are older devices which do not support the WPA-2 security and we do have WEP and TKIP options available for your WLAN security. Please contact us and we will enable these options for...

Which events do admins receive email alerts?

We have a total of 5 site-level issues for which the events get generated on the Analytics > Events page, and for these events an email will be generated and sent to notify the site admins.  Below, we detail which specific event conditions will trigger an email to the admins. AP restart Site Events: The...

Why AP’s use multiple IP addresses

A Mist AP will pull a management IP address from the Native VLAN. By default, a Mist AP requests only one IP address i.e. from the Management VLAN (VLAN 1) Features that would require multiple DHCP addresses: Local Status Page As documented in AP Settings If the Local Status Page is configured for the Site...

Why are some of my applications showing “unknown?”

Mist tracks some pre-defined applications which can be viewed with the API /api/v1/sites/:site_id/wxtags/apps.  The rest of the applications fall under the ‘unknown’ list seen at Insights > Clients page.  There is a way for users to track their choice of applications via the use of Network Labels.  Please follow the steps below to do so: 1. Navigate to Network > Labels or...

Why do clients disconnect when you add a new WLAN?

Making changes on the WLAN will cause the radio to reinitialize in order to obtain the new configuration. The radio reinitializes when adding a new WLAN or making any RF related changes to the WLAN. On the Client Events in the Insights page, you will see an AP Deauthentication being sent to the clients when...