The mailing list for users of the eduroam Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT)

[Stefan Winter <stefan.winter AT restena.lu>]

Hi Alan,

> we would like this feature too - our current provisioning tool has
> this ability (which works on clients that support the feature/ability).
> otherwise clients will try connecting to the setup SSID again..and again.
> 
> (we've had several service desk cases in the past months from users
> frustrated that they 'have to run the eduroam setup tool everytime I want
> to use wifi!'  (huh? we thought until we realised what they were doing...
> turning on wifi..their client (already configured for eduroam!) goes
> off and connects to the setup SSID...and the user just follows the prompts..
> if they just 'forgot' the setup SSID they would be fine.

Thanks for your thoughts. I keep hearing of different uses for an open
othernet: it is sometimes used as a fallback SSID, so in case the
connection to eduroam fails, clients would be connected to that one -
which can present e.g. a downtime announcement of the proper network, or
instructions how to fix a broken client setup, or maybe a reminder to
pay tuition fees to make the network work again :-)

I believe that the two uses are probably much better merged into one
use: an SSID for setup *and* troubleshooting.

In that case, the solution to the above "open network is preferred" is
not to delete it, but just to make sure that it gets a lower priority in
the client's Preferred Network List (PNL), so that eduroam always gets
tried first. CAT could let the admin configure that SSID; if the client
already has it because he bootstrapped over that network, it will just
make sure the prioritisation of networks gets done right.

Wouldn't that be a much more elegant path to pursue?

I'm writing all this without knowing in detail how to influence the
priority order of the PNL in client devices... if we think it's a good
idea, I'll go take an in-depth look.

> I think this scenario happens a lot more than we credit....and it actually
> quite a problem for some users who think its the 'eduroam way' of getting
> online...like they used to do with captive portal login.  so they
> are not getting the 100% benefits of 802.1X at all....  obviously,
> on devices where the setup SSID *can* be removed..this is a good thing.
> 
> regarding cleaning up clients.....isnt the total erradication of that 
> annoying
> 'Free Public WiFi' SSID a *good thing* ?  :-)

Maybe, but it's totally a non-eduroam problem. :-) And FWIW, I find the
deletion of an open network as a one-shot operation not very useful
anyway... since open networks require no configuration, a simple
double-click on such a network will make it re-appear in the PNL again.
If you want such a network to *stay* away, you'll need a permanent
watchdog on the client device.

De-prioritising it below all the real networks at least makes sure it is
*known* to have low priority.

Greetings,

Stefan Winter

-- 
Stefan WINTER
Ingenieur de Recherche
Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et
de la Recherche
6, rue Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi
L-1359 Luxembourg

Tel: +352 424409 1
Fax: +352 422473

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