Solved: How do I fix FortiNAC does not mark RADIUS server hosts using a wireless controller as offline?

Problem Description

This article explains how to work around an issue where FortiNAC ignores RADIUS accounting messages from wireless controllers. FortiNAC (FNAC) can update the host status in the ‘Host’ view based on RADIUS Accounting messages sent by a wireless controller (all Polling means are disabled).

Scope

FortiNAC.

Solution

When the client device is deemed offline on the controller, an accounting ‘stop’ message is sent to FortiNAC. FortiNAC then proxies this message to the external RADIUS server. The external RADIUS server responds with an ‘Accounting-Response’ message to FortiNAC to mark the host as offline in the Host view.

FortiNAC will ignore RADIUS accounting ‘Stop’ messages from wireless controllers and will not mark the host as Offline in the host view when the controller deems the host is offline.

To resolve the issue, run the following command in the CLI:

# device -ip -setAttr -name processDisconnect -value true

Important note: The sequence of RADIUS Accounting messages is critical, especially those pertaining to when a client disconnected and immediately reconnected. The second authentication may occur before the stop message for the first disconnection, causing FortiNAC to disconnect sessions that had just authenticated. In this case, check the WLC accounting messages.