Using iPads with Cisco Managed Wifi

[crummock]

Hi,

 

I'm new to this site so hopefully this is in the right place.

 

I'm doing some work with a company that support IT in local primary schools. This is around Leicester, UK.

 

The local education authority have made us aware that, in their words " you can't just attach iPads to a Cisco Managed Wifi solution that we install. Extra work has to be done'. The iPads work fine on the existing non-managed wifi.

 

Has anyone got any knowledge of this and what exactly the issue is ? SO far I don't have any details from the LEA and am really just looking for background if anyone has any.

 

many thanks

Rob

[pete]

Given that it's probably a configuration they've created, nope (ours auth via Radius just fine).

 

Probably some form of central auth / device registry but until you speak to someone competent and technical at the LEA, it's just guesswork.

[crummock]

Hi Pete.

 

thanks for replying. Your comments were pretty much my thoughts so far.

 

I guess I'm hoping someone has directly encountered this issue and maybe with Leicester.

 

thanks again

[Duke5A]

We used to use Radius for our iPads, but when the staff member's password would expire it would make for all sorts of fun to get the iPad working again. Simply changing the password in the wireless profile wasn't enough; you'd have to remove the profile completely along with every other wireless profile on the device and then recreate it. To this day I have no idea why this was, but it stumped me and a couple of other very experienced techs.

 

To get around this we settled on creating a new network for managed devices, used a static WPA2 key, and make it 63 characters in length (the maximum) with completely random characters. When then used the iOS Profile Manager to handle passing out the settings. So we don't actually have to type the password and since it is so damn long it would take from now until the sun burns out to crack it.

[bossman]

I have just recently spoken to a colleague of mine who has a Cisco wireless system at his BSF school and I remember him telling me about Cisco having to patch his AP's to enable IPads and the bonjour app to work.

 

He seems to have it sorted, PM me and I can give you his details

[Destinova]

iPads work just fine on Cisco, assuming we're talking enterprise (controller) Cisco gear. That being said they do not offer the Bonjour gateway feature until controller version 7.4.

 

Bonjour Gateway Deployment Guide 7.4 [Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controllers] - Cisco Systems

[nelsons]

Destinova is right, Just check you controller to see what Model and S/W versions you have. This also works on the older 4404 platforms : Wireless LAN Apple Bonjour Deployment Guide - Cisco Systems

[Linfit]

We use iPads and iPod touches on our Cisco 5508 with 1142 lightweight WAP's. We have not come across any real issues but we do not use multiple profiles and they are not "managed" in any real sense.

We just put in the encryption key when we set them up and away we go.

[Michael]

I've not had any issues with Cisco's and iPads. It's probably something silly like MAC address filtering!

[Destinova]

The Avahi Daemon (free, linux Bonjour gateway) works very well with any system as well. It is referred to in the Cisco document for the 4400 series controllers as they do not get the Bonjour Gateway update.

 

It doesn't have the managed features (filtering) that some other may have.

 

I'm also presently testing the free Bonjour Gateway from Aerohive.

 

Enterprise 802.11n Management System | Bonjour Gateway | Aerohive Networks