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WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Eddizzo
Aspirant

WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Hi at All,

 

It's my first post on this forum even If I read a lot of topic in past.

 

In this case I would like to ask support in something similar what was discussed on this topic: "WAC124 WLAN disconnection - deauthenticated"

 

1) WHAT'S GOING WRONG:

I use the Netgear WAC124 in order to manage all my Home Automation devices (domotic).

I choose the netgear wac124 because it's seems to be a good product and allow me to do basically what i need to. I need to be able to set an SSID for all Home Automation device, ad a separate SSID for guest.

 

Since the beginning my girlfriend conntect to the guest wifi when she work and she started to suffer random disconnection during the meet (altrought I would never notice that 😄 ).

I immediatly point the finger on her laptop (win11) and provide to her a cable connections.

 

However sometimes when I asked Alexa to switch on that light or turn off the plug, she answered my "the service are unavailable at the moment". Doesn't matter... I tought...

 

When I've decide to implement on Home Assistant the power consumption managment, the issue became really annoing. Each times this strange disconnection occurs, the power managment console stop working... and I need to reboot the Integration (meross) manually.

 

So I start to have some doubts... when Alexa start to says "Service unavailable" I start to notice the the middle led of the AC (web connection) was shutted off... when alexa start to works again, the led turn on again...

 

2) ANALISYS

So I've decided to understand better what was wrong. I used the official NETGEAR sensor on Home Assistant and I add an automation, that, each time the AP would connect again to Internet, send me a message on the mobile trought TELEGRAM.

Long story shorts, on some day,s I do receive +35 notification! 😨

 

What the hell it could be? Let's point the finger on the internet connections...

- I do monitor the router inself by a Ping Monitor and notification (I have a Zabbix Server)... it never lost che connection!!!

- Let's check the firewall (I have a phisical Firewall Fortinet 60D between the router and the other device)... checked days of log... never find something strange (drop in packages or connection losts)...

 

At this point I was lost... and check this forum...

 

3) FIX?!

Tried all... I reset to factory configuration the AP... and upgrade at the latest firmware (1.0.4.9)... nothing...

I tried to downgrade at every single firmware available

- 1.0.4.9 to 1.0.4.8

- 1.0.4.8 to 1.0.4.7

- 1.0.4.7 to 1.0.4.6

- 1.0.4.6 to 1.0.4.4

- 1.0.4.4 to 1.0.4.2

- 1.0.4.2 to 1.0.3.6

- 1.0.3.6 to 1.0.3.2

 

Nothing changes...

 

I change the cable (the AP is connected trough port LAN 1 to an Netgear Switch GS305E). Same as usual...

 

Tried to change all the addressing (the Home Managment Subnet in my network was under VLAN... I removed all the VLAN REFERENCE by firewall and all the switch, changing all the addressing)... nothing!!!!

 

4) FINALLY!!!

At the end of this mess, I remember that the "administration" tab of the web appliance of the AP, can shows logs!!! And than... surprise. All the record

"[Time sinchronized with NTP server from source XXXXXXX] DAY, MONTH, YEAR TIME"

have an exact correspondence with the messages received by TELEGRAM connected to the WAC124 Sensors on Home Assistant.

Finally I got it!!!

 

What I tried to fix:

- Change the NTP server, unchecking "Use the default NETGEAR NTP server" and placing in text box "Set the Default NTP server" at least 45 different NTP server (local, global...). Nothing Change.

- MAKE a local NTP server by using an Ubuntu server 20.4.3 LTS virtual machine. Configure it, tested it (with inside the 45 different entry for NTP server as reference), test it in one week with 3 differente device. They was perfectly sync!

Then, configure it in "NTP SERVER" textbox in Administration tab of the AP... well... Nothing changed!

 

I've checked the thread ""WAC124 WLAN disconnection - deauthenticated" as mentioned before... no solution described there...

 

End of this long journey. Still I have in my hand an, apparently, good device, that DISCONNECT FROM INTERNET CONNECTION EACH TIME HE TRIES TO SYNC WITH NTP SERVER...

 

I strongly hope that somebody has some idea, before launch it from the windows and never again buy a new Netgear product...

 

Waiting your kindly answer!

 

PS. 

I attach here the evidence of WAC124 LOG with the same timestamp of the HA Telegram Notification

Message 1 of 8
schumaku
Guru

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Reads like an issue/bug occurring under certain special conditions only. Potentially related to the similar unexpected WAN disconnection.  @DaneA @JeraldM please.

Message 2 of 8
DaneA
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

@Eddizzo,

 

Welcome to the community! 🙂

 

Is the WAC124 set to Router mode or Access Point mode?

 

How is everything connected?  It would be best to post a detailed diagram about your current network setup.  

 

 

Regards,

 

DaneA

NETGEAR Community Team

Message 3 of 8
Eddizzo
Aspirant

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Hi DaneA,

 

thank you for your answer. No problem. I attach a Topoly Diagram take from Zabbix (sorry, I hide the Ip addresses for privacy 😁, but the important things I think is shown...).

 

First Answer: yes the WAC124 is in Access Point Mode.

 

About how everything is connect. As you can see in the diagram:

- AP is connected by LAN1 plug to a Netgear managed switch 5p (305S if i remember well). On the Switch port only VLAN 10 (same as AP and of all Home Managment Devices) is allowed. 

- The switch is connected by cable directly to the Firewall Fortinet 60D. 

- The firewall is connected by cable to the router.

 

The firewall is acting as main router. The connection between the FW and the Router is made by a single cable. Everything is under NAT (each subnet presents itself as a single NAT IP and the FW and the ROUTER communicated each other with a single interfaces with NAT).

 

I highlight in red the route between the AP Netgear and the External net. 

Inside the network there is another AP (Tp-link) that is highlight in green in the diagram. The AP is on a different Subnet. Both the AP are managed with different static Channel (either 2,4 ghz and 5 ghz) in order to avoit overlap. 

 

Even the overlapping with other WIFI network in neighbourhood is avoider (low amout of wifi connection in my area... basically 90% of the time the channel that they use are empty, and I also checked that the disconnetion is not on the same time when other WIFI Connection overlap the channels).

 

On the interface of the firewall and the swith 5p a vlan is set up. Is the only VLAN present in the entire network (I need the time to set the others on the other subnet...).

 

The virtual Switch on the FW is because of this. No problem with the external connection of another device that is not connected directly to the AP (as an example, in the diagram the HUE Bridge or the Camera, NEVER suffer disconnection).

 

The rule on firewall for the AP is basically a permit Any Any to the outside Network (because of this I use 1 AP for the home managment and 1 for the client).

 

The access point use the VIRTUAL SWITCH interface as a default gateway. The AP has a Static IP address and Use the DHCP server on the Firewall to define the Address pool.

 

As DNS it uses the Firewall ONE as primary (I have on Firewall, internal DNS and use the autorized DNS of the Fortinet itsefl) and google as secondary.

 

That the big picture. Please let me know if you need more information. 

Message 4 of 8
DaneA
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

@Eddizzo,

 

Let us isolate the problem.  Kindly try to connect the WAC124 (in Access Point mode) directly to the Vodafone router. Be sure that the WAC124 is on the latest firmware version.  Then, try to use the default NETGEAR NTP Server and observe if the same problem will occur.  Also, you may try using other NTP Servers and observe if the same problem will occur.  

 

Another suggestion is try to set the WAC124 in Router mode and set it as the main router connected directly to the modem.  Be sure that the SRR60 is on the latest firmware version.  Then, try to use the default NETGEAR NTP Server and observe if the same problem will occur.  Also, you may try using other NTP Servers and observe if the same problem will occur.  

 

 

Regards,

 

DaneA
NETGEAR Community Team

Message 5 of 8
schumaku
Guru

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

@DaneA in my unqualified understanding, the only VLAN config these WAC10x or WAX124 does support is the router based bridge for IPTV configs. The LAN is supposed to run on an untagged network, and so are the wireless SSIDs. There is no other 802.1q feature available. 

Message 6 of 8
Cookie53
Initiate

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Interesting thread, since I have exactly the same problem.  I am using my WAC124 as an AP with a static IP connected to a Virgin Media router out to the internet (similar setup to you).  I am not sure it is down to the syncing of the NTP server.  If I look at my logs it shows the desconnect and reconnect happening sometime later:

 

[WLAN connection] (0c:9a:3c:64:ad:07) had associated successfully Wednesday, October 19,2022 13:27:38
[WLAN disconnection] (0c:9a:3c:64:ad:07) had deauthenticated Wednesday, October 19,2022 13:27:38
[Time synchronized with NTP server time-g.netgear.com] Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:58:12
[WLAN connection] (0c:9a:3c:64:ad:07) had associated successfully Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:57:30
[WLAN disconnection] (0c:9a:3c:64:ad:07) had deauthenticated Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:57:29
[WLAN connection] (e2:bd:2c:df:94:d8) had associated successfully Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:56:31
[WLAN connection] (0c:9a:3c:64:ad:07) had associated successfully Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:51:18
[Time synchronized with NTP server time-g.netgear.com] Wednesday, October 19,2022 12:51:12

 

I don't want to hijack the thread, so waiting with bated breath!!

Message 7 of 8
Eddizzo
Aspirant

Re: WAC124 Disconnected when Sync with NTP Server - SECOND :D

Hi All and thank you four you answers...

 

I'll try to answer everybody with a single post 😄

@DaneA  That test you request would be hard to do, for 2 main reasons:

 

1) even if I place the AP directly connected to the router (either in AP or Router mode), I'll miss the HA monitoring. Unluckly the raspberry server where home assistant runs, in impossible to move due to logistical reason and funcional reason (that move us to the point

 

2). Loosing the monitoring, I can't check in real time the disconnection. I should watch the whole day the WAC124 logs in realtime to check when it starts the NTP Sync and than try to use a Domotical Device (such a plug) to check if it work.  2) Unluckly all my house is full managed by domotical devices... light, plugs, the hot water heater... I don't have a precise timable when WAC124 starts the NTP Sync... apparently is totally randomic. So i Should stay in constant monitoring (as I described above) the whole day and in the meanwhile the whole house would be completely stopped. 

 

Only thing I can do is to switch the 2 AP, configuring the TPLINK to act as WAC124 and then, move the wac124 in the position you described. But the monitoring issue still stand up.  I trought many time to to that test... but... honestly, even if it will work (and I have doubts), the AP became useless for me. Basically because of the sync of NTP server...  I promise, when I'll have time, to try to do that test, unluckly not in shot terms...  Thinking about that (but is just based on my thought, nothing tangible ‌‌) should not change anything. 

 

@schumaku  about the VLAN... of course the WAC124 do not support the 802.1q standard... in fact the vlan is not set up on the AP, by basically only on Router/Firewall and the switch. Should be totally transparent for the AP. No VLAN set up is available on the AP settings (that's completely correct). The VLAN tag start when the packet pass trought the switch port and then is managed by the switch and the router (that tag and Untag the packets depending where goes, ingoing or outgoing)... in fact all the traffic runs perfectly between the devices... in the WAC124 diagnostics no CRC... the streaming trought the wifi connection (when used, as an example for GUEST SSID) do not suffer any disconnection. The other 2 devices linked at the same switch allways in switchport vlan 10 (the Ezviz camera and the philips Hue Hub) do not suffer any disconnections even when the NTP is in sync.  As an example... it happens sometimes that I ask "Alexa" to "turn on this plug...".

Using the Echoshow, I noticed the yellow line in the lower part of the screen that means "no connection". If in the same time I use the Philips HUE app on my phone, I'm perfectly be able to turn on and off the lights. In the same time, the plugs do not work. That's because the plugs, share with the AP the Wifi connection and the philips hue use a Zigbee to talk with the bulbs. So the overall internet connection works, even on VLAN10... and in addiction... When I notice the disconnection, if I try to ping the plugs, or the shelly, in the intranet they're perfectly reachable. In fat on the AP only "WAN" led is shut off...

 

Please excuse me if I was, in some way, inaccurate for the VLAN theme.

 

@Cookie53  sad to know that you also suffer the same issue. Did you check the disconnection of your wifi device with certain when the AP start to Sync with NTP server?

 

 

Hope this notes help you all (and me as well) for diagnostics. 

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