How to set a Beacon Interval in the wireless settings

03/26/2020 28 20517

DESCRIPTION:

The following error appears on a SonicWall when the SonicPoint Provisioning Profile is configured with a too small Beacon Interval: "Error: Too small 802.11n Beacon Interval for Virtual Access Point."
This article aims to be a succinct guide to the SonicOS Administrator that needs to configure the beacon interval in the SonicOS wireless settings.

CAUSE:

If you are not segmenting your wireless network, by using no Virtual Access Points (VAPs) or a provisioning profile with a VAP Group including only one VAP configured, then the beacon interval is to be at least 100 ms, and not greater than 1000ms.
If you are instead segmenting your wireless network, by making use of a provisioning profile with a VAP Group including multiple VAPs, then the beacon interval is to be at least 100ms multiplied by the number of the VAPs added to the VAP Group. For example, if you are using a VAP Group that groups 3 VAPs, then the minimum Beacon Interval is intended to be 300ms (i.e. 3x100ms). When segmenting the wireless network (using multiple VAPs), the maximum value for configuring the beacon interval is anyway set to be 1000ms.

RESOLUTION:

1. Add a new VAP Group "VAP Giovanni", grouping 3 VAPs (e.g. "Gio1", "Gio2" and "Gio3"). 
   
2. Access the Provisioning Profile in Edit mode, and change the beacon interval from the current value to 200ms: the SonicOS Enhanced will return the message "Error: Too small 802.11n Beacon Interval for Virtual Access Point".
   This is because the minimum value to be accepted is Nx100ms, where N is the number of VAPs in the Virtual Access Point Group defined in the SonicPoint Provisioning Profile.
   

Here's how to correctly configure the beacon interval:

1. Access the SonicPoint Provisioning Profile in Edit mode
2. Change the beacon interval to a value included between 300ms and 1000ms. This time the SonicOS will accept the value and validate this setting.
   You can verify that this has been saved in the settings from then SonicPoint Provisioning Profile view panel.
   

   CAUTION: A high value will cause network disconnections and other issues, so make sure to use the correct value (2 SonicPoints will be 200ms, 3 SonicPoints will be 300ms and so on)

    

   
   

Resolution for SonicOS 6.5

This release includes significant user interface changes and many new features that are different from the SonicOS 6.2 and earlier firmware. The below resolution is for customers using SonicOS 6.5 firmware.

1. Navigate to the Manage tab and click Access Points | Virtual Access Points
2. Create 3 Virtual Access Points (VAP)
3. Add a new VAP Group "VAP Giovanni", grouping 3 VAPs (e.g. "Gio1", "Gio2" and "Gio3"). 
   
4. Access the Provisioning Profile in Edit mode and assign the VAP Group to the SonicPoint.
5. Click Save and you will get the error "Radio 0 Beacon Interval must be at least 300milliseconds for 3 VAPs" (the beacon interval set on Radio 0 was the default value 100ms)
   This is because the minimum value to be accepted is Nx100ms, where N is the number of VAPs in the Virtual Access Point Group defined in the SonicPoint Provisioning Profile.
   

Here's how to correctly configure the beacon interval:

1. Go to the Manage tab and click Access Points | Base Settings 
2. Access the SonicPoint Provisioning Profile in Edit mode
3. Change the beacon interval to a value included between 300ms and 1000ms. This time the SonicOS will accept the value and validate this setting.
   You can verify that this has been saved in the settings from then SonicPoint Provisioning Profile view panel.
   

   CAUTION: A high value will cause network disconnections and other issues, so make sure to use the correct value (2 SonicPoints will be 200ms, 3 SonicPoints will be 300ms and so on)