How to reduce the SonicWall access point reboot impact when performing configuration change

03/26/2020 855 12023

DESCRIPTION:

How to reduce the SonicWall access point reboot impact when performing configuration change.

RESOLUTION:

Currently, SonicWall access points will reboot after every configuration change which may siginificantly impact users traffic . This article aims to provide several ways to minimize the impact to wireless users.
Access point mode:  Managed Mode (SonicWall access point is managed by SonicOS appliance)
To minimize the impact, you can follow below configuration tips.
1. Administrators should  not perform any access point configuration change during business hours.
2. Administrators should better configure with Provisioning Profiles and also disable auto provisioning at the same time. Configuring the SonicWall access point directly will cause AP reboot immediately.
Following are the testing procedures which analyze the impact of different configuration methods.

• Configure SonicWall access points via Provisioning Profiles with auto provisioning disable.
  Configure SonicWall access points via Provisioning Profiles with auto provisioning enable.
• Configure SonicWall access points directly.

•  Configure SonicWall access points with Provisioning Profiles - Enable auto provisioning will reboot SonicWall access points immediately after configuration change.
  

Note: Before configure the SonicWall access points , please check which provisioning profile is being used.  In this example, the SonicPoint ACe is connected to WLAN zone, and zone applied provisioning profile is default SonicPointACe/ACi/N2.

Disable auto provisioning  --  SonicWall access points will not reboot immediately.

Step 1. Navigate to  Network | Zones page | click the edit button of the WLAN zone in Zone Settings area.
Step 2. Click Wireless tab in the popup window | Don't select the Auto provisioning option of profile SonicPointACe/ACi/N2.
Step 3. Navigate to  SonicPoint | SonicPoints page | click the edit button  of profile SonicPointACe/ACi/N2 in SonicPointN Provisioning Profiles  area.
Step 4. In the displayed window, click tab Radio 0 Basic | modiy the SSID value (e.g. SonicWall) | Click OK button.
Step 5. In the SonicPointNs  area, you can see the SonicPoint does not reboot and the modification does not take effect also.

Note: Administrator can modify the provisioning profile firstly, and manually update the SP configuration after business hour. To manually update the AP configuration, you should firstly delete the SonicWall access points in the SonicPointNs area, then click Synchronize SonicPoints button to update configuration changes to the access points.
After manually update, the SonicWall will reboot and the AP configuration will be updated.

Enable auto provisioning -- Result in the SonicWall access point reboot immediately.
Step 1. Navigate to Network | Zones page | Click the edit button of the WLAN zone in Zone Settings area | Click Wireless tab in the popup window | Select the Auto provisioning option of profile SonicPointACe/ACi/N2.
Step 2. Navigate to  SonicPoint | SonicPoints page | click the edit button of profile SonicPointACe/ACi/N2 in SonicPointN Provisioning Profiles area.| click tab Radio 0 Basic in the edit window | modiy the SSID value (e.g. ) | Click OK button.
Step 3. In the SonicPointNs area, you can see the SonicPoint Rebooting immediately.

•  Configure SonicPoints directly -- Result in the SonicWall access point reboot immediately.
  

Step 1. Navigate to SonicPoint | SonicPoints page | click the edit button in SonicPointNs area.
Step 2. In the displayed window, click tab Radio 0 Basic | modiy the SSID value (e.g.) | Click OK button.
Step 3.  In the SonicWall access points area, you can see the AP rebooting immediately.