Hi Chris,
Depending on how far down the rabbit hole you're going to go. There seem to be
supposedly a lot of problems with the Home Pod setup process (not even in a
enterprise network) -
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/14/homepod-setup-troubleshooting/
I wanted to bring that point up so you don't rule out "an issue with the
specific Home Pod itself" as I recently made the same error with a Google Home
Mini (first and only ticket I received) - we tested the Google Home last year -
and worked perfectly. We're an Aruba Deployment that leverages AirGroup
(mDNS/SSPD proxy) and ClearPass (Radius/Device Registration) for
suppressing/controlling the discovery protocols so only Billy will discover
Billy's Chromecast for example.
* Google Home (Tall Version) works with AirGroup - the service sees the
mDNS responses and classifies it as a server.
* Google Home Mini does not work with AirGroup - the service sees the
packets and discards them repeatedly (it should classify the device as either a
Server, User, or both)
* I performed a packet-capture to compare the Tall vs Mini - they're both
identical (minus mac address and ip-address)
* Mini works in a home network with mDNS.
* Mini works in a lab when I allow mDNS to run rampant (with AirGroup
Disabled)
* I made the error in thinking the issue was between the Tall and Small
version - it wasn't:
* I go and buy another Google Home Mini - plug it in - and AirGroup
classifies it as an Server - works perfectly. The only difference - this one
was manufactured a month after the other one. Logically, this would point to a
defective device - but still mDNS works in other scenarios. I'm sure there's
something else going on.
* Software/Firmware is identical - multiple factory resets
I have a TAC case opened with Aruba - after working with them for a couple days
- they've escalated to their development team as it's definitely the controller
that's failing to classify this device as a Server - just don't understand yet
why
1. If you can and have the capability - can you find other "Home Pods" on
your network via device-registration or classification (Clearpass as that
fingerprinting)
2. You reminded me of my situation while I helped the student - my success
with setting up a Home Mini with iOS was much lower than Android.
* Android (Wi-Fi Direct) - After telling the Home Mini to connect to the
desired SSID - my phone would try and move over - fail...but the Home Mini
would maintain it's connection to the SSID - at which point I'd move back to
our dot1x network and allow AirGroup to work it's magic.
* iOS Bluetooth (Preferred) or (Wi-Fi Direct) - Each time I ran the Home
Mini - after telling the Home Mini to connect to the desired SSID - my phone
would try and move over - fail - the Home Mini would eventually "give
up/disconnect" from the SSID. I think what was happening - device would move
over - Home Setup App would timeout - I'd run the app again (it would use
Bluetooth) - and redo the SSID config. My theory is if I were to forgo the
Bluetooth and use just Wi-Fi Direct - I should get the same end-success I had
with Android.
Other Note - I had a small chuckle while at the local Wal-Mart asking for a
Google Home Mini - the employee commented (wait let me get you one that hasn't
been opened) - there was an entire row of them. My thoughts - either people
didn't like them....or with this being a university town...a bunch of students
bought them, couldn't get them working...and returned them.
Christopher Johnson
Wireless Network Engineer
AT Infrastructure Operations & Networking (ION)
Illinois State University
(309) 438-8444
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________________________________
From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv
<[email protected]> on behalf of Michael Dickson
<[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 3:20 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] Apple Home Pod
Hi Chris,
That would be a problem for us as well. We require dot1x devices to connect to
eduroam. Consumer IoT devices are supported on our PSK SSID.
Amazon Echos are still fairly useful as a connected IP device even if it can't
discover the user's other Home automation devices (Alexa App smartphone
communicates to the Echo via IP through the AWS cloud). Is the Home Pod
similar? Or is it basically useless unless it can bathe in mDNS?
Mike
Michael Dickson
Network Engineer
Information Technology
University of Massachusetts Amherst
413-545-9639
[email protected]
PGP: 0x16777D39
On Feb 12, 2018, at 3:47 PM, Chris Adams (IT) <[email protected]> wrote:
> We had our first ticket come in today requesting connectivity assistance in a
> dorm for Home Pod. According to the info provided to me, it sounds like the
> device doesn't play well if the source device and the pod are not on the same
> SSID and the home pod doesn't appear to support 802.1x. For example, if you
> want to have a iPhone on a dot1x SSID and the Home Pod on a PSK SSID, even if
> they are in the same VLAN, the set up will fail. This is causing some issues
> as we only provide PSKs for media/non-dot1x devices and require students with
> dot1x devices to use their credentials.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris Adams, CISSP
>
> Assistant CIO, Network & Telecom
> Division of Information Technology
> University of North Georgia
> E-Mail: [email protected] | Office: (706) 867-2891
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael Dickson
> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2018 3:40 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] Apple Home Pod
>
> Hi all,
>
> Wondering if anyone has had time in front of the new Apple Home Pod.
> According to the Apple support site "HomePod doesn't support public or
> subscription networks with sign-in requirements or enterprise-style
> deployments." This is not terribly surprising. What I'm really wondering is
> how useful is this device in an enterprise environment where L2 protocols are
> not allowed?
>
> The Amazon Echo family of products has 8 out of 9 feature categories
> supported by L3-only connectivity (only home automation is prevented). Is L2
> protocol discovery totally necessary for Apple Home Pod?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mike
>
> Michael Dickson
> Network Engineer
> Information Technology
> University of Massachusetts Amherst
> 413-545-9639
> [email protected]
> PGP: 0x16777D39
>
>
> **********
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> Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/discuss.
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