Software Bug in ResNet Wireless System

In response to residential student feedback, we recently partnered with the Office of Residential Life and updated all residential buildings with wireless hardware upgrades that provide the fastest speeds available.  However, with innovation and new hardware can come unexpected challenges.  RT tickets from residential students helped us identify a system-wide issue that may impact your user experience.

DoIT has identified a software bug in the residential wireless system. The bug can cause devices to connect to access points further away a student’s room they necessary, resulting in slower, less consistent speeds and occasional disconnects from the wireless network. This problem is present on Eduroam and on Visitor and Campus wireless and it's an issue on the devices themselves, not just a single wireless network.  

Please note that we do not believe this problem is present in the academic areas of the campus, only in the Residence Halls.

We have been working with the vendor, Cisco, to get a version of software that fixes the bug and they are currently vetting a patch through their testing lab. In the meantime, we have worked with Cisco to develop an interim solution to minimize the impact on you. This interim solution involves monitoring the system for certain error logs caused by this bug, and resetting the access points as needed. We apologize for the inconvenience and, as soon as the new software is available, we will be applying it throughout the Residence Halls immediately.

Thank you for your patience as we work through this challenge with our campus partners. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for more information.

Sincerely,

Damian Doyle

Senior Director of Enterprise Infrastructure and Support

DoIT - UMBC