Question : Problem: Apple Macbook Wireless gets put on Exclusions List when trying to connect to Cisco Access Point

I work in a College IT department for a University. I'm working between a student of ours and our Network Operations Center (NOC). The student has a brand new Apple Macbook running Leopard 10.5.1. When trying to connect to our University's Wireless Network he receives a Connection timeout error almost instantly. Our wireless network consists of Cisco Access Points. MAC Addresses are required to be registered before a connection can be made, plus the laptop must be set for Open Network and have a WEP key.

My contact at NOC tells me something on the laptop is remembering an invalid ip address or assigning itself an invalid ip address before it receives its DHCP address. Each time it changes its address it causes a re-authentication. After 5 failed authentications it is placed in exclusion for 60 seconds.

The only way for the laptop to connect to the wireless network is for NOC to disable the security policy for this "5 failed authentications". Once that policy is turned off, the laptop connects instantly. NOC is only willing to disable this policy for testing only, so it must remain on the rest of the time.

Attached is the log from the Cisco Access Point and Macbook System Log.

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             Cisco Access Point Log:
 
Tue Nov 27 15:20:56 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Invalid MSCB state: ipAddr=10.241.3.202, regType=2, Dhcp required!
Tue Nov 27 15:20:56 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Orphan Packet from 172.30.39.218 on mobile 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50
Tue Nov 27 15:20:56 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Invalid MSCB state: ipAddr=172.30.39.218, regType=2, Dhcp required!
Tue Nov 27 15:20:57 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Orphan Packet from 192.168.1.107 on mobile 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50
Tue Nov 27 15:20:57 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Invalid MSCB state: ipAddr=192.168.1.107, regType=2, Dhcp required!
Tue Nov 27 15:20:57 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Orphan Packet from 192.168.1.101 on mobile 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50
Tue Nov 27 15:20:57 2007: 00:1d:4f:fa:bf:50 Invalid MSCB state: ipAddr=192.168.1.101, regType=2, Dhcp required!
 
Macbook System Log:
 
Nov 27 15:18:23 macbook airportd[6539]: Error: Apple80211Associate() failed -6
Nov 27 15:18:23 macbook SystemUIServer[1571]: Error: airportd MIG failed = -6 ((null))  (port = 51347) 
Nov 27 15:18:23 macbook SystemUIServer[1571]: Error joining NoWireUC: Connection timeout (-6 timeout connecting)
Nov 27 15:18:42 macbook TextMate[1778]: Error checking for new version: no Internet connection
Nov 27 15:18:42 macbook TextMate[1778]: Will try again in one hour 
Nov 27 15:19:01 macbook ntpd[24]: sendto(17.254.0.28) (fd=23): No route to host
Nov 27 15:19:11 macbook airportd[6548]: Error: Apple80211Associate() failed -6
Nov 27 15:19:11 macbook SystemUIServer[1571]: Error: airportd MIG failed = -6 ((null))  (port = 51347) 
Nov 27 15:19:11 macbook SystemUIServer[1571]: Error joining NoWireUC: Connection timeout (-6 timeout connecting)
Nov 27 15:20:05 macbook ntpd[24]: sendto(17.254.0.28) (fd=23): No route to host 
Nov 27 15:20:52 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet8(7) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.6.1 has different family: 0
Nov 27 15:20:52 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet1(8) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.112.1 has different family: 0
Nov 27 15:20:52 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: SetupAddr invalid sa_family 0
Nov 27 15:20:53: --- last message repeated 1 time ---
Nov 27 15:20:53 macbook airportd[6549]: Error: Apple80211Associate() failed -6 
Nov 27 15:20:53 macbook airportd[6549]: Error: Apple80211Scan() error 16
Nov 27 15:20:53 macbook airportd[6549]: Error: __performScan() failed, entering fail-save workaround..
Nov 27 15:20:56 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet8(7) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.6.1 has different family: 0
Nov 27 15:20:56 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet1(8) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.112.1 has different family: 0 
Nov 27 15:20:56 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: SetupAddr invalid sa_family 0
Nov 27 15:20:57 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet8(7) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.6.1 has different family: 0
Nov 27 15:20:57 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: getifaddrs ifa_netmask for vmnet1(8) Flags 8863 Family  2 172.16.112.1 has different family: 0
Nov 27 15:20:57 macbook mDNSResponder[15]: SetupAddr invalid sa_family 0 
Nov 27 15:20:58: --- last message repeated 1 time ---
Nov 27 15:20:58 macbook airportd[6549]: Could not find any preferred networks; trying broadcast requests..

           
         

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Answer : Problem: Apple Macbook Wireless gets put on Exclusions List when trying to connect to Cisco Access Point

Maybe look at downloading and reinstalling the firmware for the Airport card. I just helped someone else with a mystery problem similar to yours. He had a wireless version that was designed for global interface. The flash put it back in ad hoc mode and then it worked. Long shot for you. check and see if his standard is 802.11d . Even if it isn't a reflash could not hurt. http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/firmware_hardware/airportextremeupdate2007004.html