WiFi Troubleshooting Checklist

When a WiFi issue is reported, it has been my frequent experience (from working in several helpdesks and network teams) that the problem is client-related i.e. if you have multiple users connected to a wireless access point, and only one or two are having WiFi issues, the problem generally isn’t the WiFi. The following information should be acquired and used to troubleshoot the issue before escalating the ticket through the various tiers of an IT team.

Helpdesk/Service Desk:

Initial steps:

• Forget network, then reconnect to WiFi
• Check if their username and password are correct
• Check the wireless drivers on their device

If the above does not resolve the connection:

• How many users are affected?
• Device(s) make/model?
• Location(s)?
• Message(s), if any, onscreen?
  • Connected: Verify connection issue affects all webpages, not just one or two as they may be the cause of latency.
  • Failure to obtain an IP address: Check the device settings are correct and DHCP is set to Auto. If so, escalate to Networks/Infrastructure
  • Connected/Internet may not be available: Escalate to Networks/Infrastructure
• Find out the IP address, i.e. type “ipconfig/all” in Windows Command Prompt and check the output from the relevant wireless adapter.
• Get the MAC address (using ipconfig/all as above) AKA the Physical Address
• If multiple users affected, is the connection issue occurring in one location or several?

ALL INFORMATION GATHERED ABOVE SHOULD BE ADDED TO TICKET BEFORE ESCALATING

Networks/Infrastructure team:

• One user:
  • Verify that the IP address matches the correct subnet in the IPAM server.
  • In the Wireless NMS, search for the user using the MAC addresses.
  • Check the BSSID they’re connected to. The BSSID identifies the SSID on a particular AP.
    • For Windows users, type “netsh wlan show interface” in Windows Command Prompt.
    • For macOS, hold the Option key while clicking the WiFi icon in the upper right corner. BSSID will be listed in the drop-down menu.
    • For Android or iOS, the user can download the apps WiFi Analyzer or Network Analyzer Lite respectively.
    • The results should show the AP and SSID of the user’s most recent connection.
• Multiple users:
  • Check access points in the location(s) of connection issue:
    • SSIDs broadcast.
    • Interference on channels in use by 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
    • Uptime: check physical connection of AP and POE settings/logs on switchport.
• Check DHCP settings on network including the DHCP pool to ensure it’s not full.
• Check licenses on controller and relevant WNMS.